NGE: Aftermath
by Van Pat
Summary: This takes place after Third Impact. Life in Tokyo-3 has mostly returned to normal, the city is restored, and the Angels are gone. SEELE, however, is far from finished... And a new threat is looming on the horizon.
1. New Beginning

A/N: Hello everyone. This is my first story, so please tell me how I did. There are some characters I might have trouble imitating perfectly, and a few errors, but overall it shouldn't be too bad. There will be new pilots added, and a few plot twists. Anyways, I'm rambling. Onto the show!

A/A/N: Chapters One through Ten have been somewhat rewritten. It'll do.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Evangelion or anything related to it, etc, etc.

* * *

Shortly following Third Impact, everyone who died on that day, as well as anyone who died from around the time the Thirteenth Angel possessed Unit 03, was brought back to life. Even the entire NERV Branch in Nevada destroyed from Unit 04's activation was restored. Unit 01 was found near the remains of Unit 02, and Shinji managed to carry Asuka (Both of them, surprisingly enough, having no injuries) to NERV HQ. SEELE's role in these events was not well liked, to say the least. After the UN realized they were manipulated by SEELE to allow them to initiate Third Impact and the death of countless others in Nerv (Even though everyone who died that day came back to life), the UN declared SEELE internationally wanted criminals.

"So, what's the status of the Evas?" Misato asks two weeks after Third Impact, leaning against the wall in a small room while Ritsuko is typing on computer.

"Well," Ritsuko began, pulling up a window, showing pictures of the Evas. "Eva Unit 02 is heavily damaged, and Units 00 and 03 aren't in much better shape. That is mainly because we didn't have the resources to repair them, and there were other issues at the time to consider."

"What about Unit 01?"

Ritsuko frowns "Oddly enough, it's in perfect condition. No missing limbs, no armor damage, not even scratches. Commander Ikari had it put in cryo-stasis for obvious reasons."

Misato nods gravely "Yeah." What she was told about what happened after she died getting Shinji to his Eva shocked her, almost as much as when she found out she was alive and not dying from blood loss from her bullet wound. According to the Magi which recorded the incident, Unit 01 gained, for lack of a better word, the power of a God. The Human Instrumentality Project was created by SEELE to fuse all souls into a single being. Shinji, however, rejected it and aborted Third Impact.

Misato sighs "What happened to the Eva Series SEELE made anyways?" she asks, "And the Lance of Longinous?"

"Three days after Third Impact, the Eva Series vanished. There were traces of them being moved as well."

"So that means..."

"SEELE likely retrieved them," Ritsuko said, looking annoyed. "What the hell was security doing at that time, anyways..."

Misato merely shrugs. Ritsuko loads some files onto a floppy disk and stands up, walking out of the room and towards the Main Command Center. Misato follows her, "Was the Lance taken along with the Evas?"

Ritsuko shakes her head, "Not likely. It was in orbit of the Earth and SEELE couldn't have retrieved it without us noticing it. It just vanished one week ago, no sign of SEELE doing it either."

When they entered the command center, Maya and Hyuga are talking while Aoba is tuning a guitar, not paying attention to the discussion. Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki are absent, however.

"...I still have trouble believing SEELE so easily used the UN to fund their goal of Third Impact." Maya stated sadly, "Didn't anyone in the UN really understand what they were doing?"

"I guess not," Hyuga remarked, leaning back. "But then, wasn't Commander Ikari planning to do the same thing? Oh, hello Major Katsuragi." Hyuga says, noticing Misato and Ritsuko.

"Hello Hyuga." Misato replies, "Hello Lt. Ibuki."

"Hello Doctor Akagi, Major Katsuragi." Maya replies, her voice no longer sad.

Ritsuko looks at Maya. "Maya, what is the status of the Magi?"

"No problems yet, Doctor Akagi." She replies, "The update to its software is almost finished."

"Good." Ritsuko looks at Misato, "What is the status of the children?"

Misato sighs "Luckily, Asuka and Shinji have no physical injuries, same with Toji if he decides to pilot again but..."

"...But there is a chance of psychological damage." Ritsuko said, finishing Misato's report for her.

"Can you blame them?" Maya responds in a soft voice, "What they've been through at their age, it's miracle they are still rational."

"True," Misato replies. "They act almost the same way they did before Third Impact. There are times when they act differently then they usually do, like when Asuka actually apologizes for starting an argument or when Shinji actually stands up to her, rather than apologize for no reason."

"Seriously?" Hyuga looked surprised.

Misato nods. "I'm serious. It's actually refreshing not having them scream and shout at each other for a change."

Ritsuko looks at Maya, "I'll need your help uploading a few files into the Magi after the system update is finish."

"Yes, ma'am." Maya rises to her feet and walks with Ritsuko toward the lower level of room where the Magi is.

"Well, I'd better get back home and check up on them." Misato begins heading toward the door, "Seeya later, Hyuga."

He nods and goes back to his work.

* * *

"SEELE won't let this go, you know." Fuyutsuki stated, standing near Commander Ikari's desk.

Gendo merely nods, seated in his chair, browsing through some documents.

Fuyutsuki continues, "Eva Units 00, 02, and 03 are heavily damaged. Unit 01 is intact but it's risky using it until we have determined if there were any effects on it. After all, it was the instrument of Third Impact." He hesitates, "There is also no guarantee that your son will pilot it anymore after all that's happened."

"If you are suggesting we acquire more Evas and Pilots." Gendo responds calmly, his voice somewhat cold, "I have already requested Eva Units 04, 05, and 06, along with two pilots, to be sent here."

"Two pilots?" Fuyutsuki asked, his face slightly confused, "What about a third pilot?"

"There is a potential pilot already in Tokyo-3, and I see no reason to waste resources finding a more suitable pilot elsewhere." Commander Ikari hands three folders with documents to Fuyutsuki, "These three have the best scores, therefore, they will be used."

Fuyutsuki looks through one of the folders and blinks with surprise. "Commander Ikari, was this choice entirely wise? It's true that he can be trusted but... he seems to be over enthusiastic about the Eva Units."

"His scores are satisfactory." Gendo coldly replied.

Fuyutsuki merely nods to this and opens the second folder, "This pilot's score is exceptional for a beginner, but she has a bad experience regarding Eva, Unit 04 in particular."

"Tragedy strengthens resolve." Gendo replies shortly.

"In this case, that saying turned out true." Fuyutsuki closes the folder and opens the last one, his eyes widening "But how-? Is this accurate?"

"Correct."

Fuyutsuki browses through the files, "Its armor design was similar to Unit 03's but it was slightly remodeled and still is being finalized in design." Fuyutsuki frowns, "Why are the details of these two new upgrades which are still being implemented classified?"

"The details are classified for unknown reasons." Gendo responds coldly, "I do not enjoy secrets being kept from me, especially about an Eva that destroyed the entire Nevada Nerv Branch."

"According to this, the pilot and Eva won't be ready for another 6 weeks. Does that mean we will only acquire Units 05 and 06, as well as Unit 06's pilot?"

"Correct."

"I'll give these reports to Doctor Akagi. She will need to make a medical chart for the three of them."

"Only give her the data for the pilots of Unit 05 and 06. It is unnecessary to include the pilot of Unit 04 at this time."

Fuyutsuki nods, "Understood." Fuyutsuki leaves the room, the noise of the door shutting echoing in the silence.

* * *

It was around 7:30 P.M. when Misato arrived at her apartment, the sun setting in the distance. She takes the elevator and slowly walks to her door, hearing faint shouting noises as she unlocks and opens the door. "I'm hoooome!" Misato cheerfully announces as she enters the apartment.

"BAKA!" Asuka shouted at Shinji, "I can cook food without your advice!"

"Sorry, but you asked for my advice before you even started cooking." Shinji retorts, "It's not my fault that you didn't listen to me."

As Misato enters the kitchen, she smells something burning. Asuka is standing near the stove while Shinji is standing nearby. The source of their discussion was sitting in the frying pan, completely burnt. 'That explains the burning smell.' Misato thought.

"Excuse me?" Asuka screamed.

"Enough!" Misato's voice annoyed, "Can't you two grow up and act more mature?"

"Says the woman who gets roaring drunk every night." Asuka mutters loud enough for her to hear.

Before Misato can retort to that comment, the phone rings. Misato glares at Asuka, but picks up the phone. "Hello?" Misato says, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Ah, Misato. Glad you were able to pick up."

"Oh, hi Ritsuko."

"What's wrong, you voice sounds a bit annoyed." Ritsuko sounds a bit amused, "The lovebirds fighting again?"

Misato glances at Asuka and Shinji, who are now cleaning up the burnt food. "Yeah, pretty much. So, what's up, Rits?"

"Well, I was just informed we are getting two new pilots."

"Eh?" Misato sounds surprised, catching Shinji and Asuka's attention. "What do you mean? Who are they?"

"One is from the school, the other is from the U.S."

"What?"

"Don't worry, the pilot can speak Japanese fluently."

"That isn't the issue. What I meant was-" Misato breaks off, noticing Asuka standing near to her, straining to hear what is being said on the phone. "Will you stop eavesdropping?" she demanded.

Asuka mutters something under her breath and goes back to cleaning the kitchen.

Misato sighs. She moves out into the hallway with the phone and out of earshot, "Sorry about that, Rits. The issue was where the Evas are coming from and where the pilots will stay."

"Eva Unit 05 is coming from Canada and Unit 06 from Australia. As for where they will live, one already has a place to stay, and we already have a good idea of where the other will stay."

"Okay, where is the other one staying?"

Misato's jaw dropped as she hears Ritsuko's response. "With you." Ritsuko's voice sounded amused.

"HEY! My apartment is NOT a daycare center! Who's idea-" Misato shouted.

"It's the best we can do under short notice." Ritsuko apologized, "But it shouldn't be an issue. After all, you manage to take care of Shinji and Asuka, despite your bad habits."

"Is that your way of apologizing?" Misato sounds annoyed, "Where will he sleep?"

"She can sleep in Asuka's room for now."

"Oh, it's a female pilot. But I don't think Asuka will like sharing her room with a new pilot."

"Then threaten to have her sleep with Shinji instead." Ritsuko's voice replied, filled with amusement.

Misato chuckles, "Good idea. Anyways, I'd better tell them what to expect."

"I'll send a copy of their profiles to your computer."

"Okay, bye Rits." Misato hangs up. She looks up and notices Shinji and Asuka looking at her. Shinji looked slightly happy but Asuka looked annoyed. "I guess I don't need to tell you about the new pilots."

"What do you mean, sleep here?" Asuka demanded, "There's no way I'm sharing my room with some new girl."

Misato sighs, "Look, either she sleeps with you, or with Shinji." Asuka's face became pale that thought. Misato grins impishly "OR, you could sleep with Shinji instead."

Asuka's and Shinji's faces both turn red. "Hell no!" Asuka shouts.

"Well then, she sleeps in your room." Misato states cheerfully.

Asuka glares at her, walks back to her room, and slams the door shut.

"She actually took that better than I expected her to." Misato mutters to herself.

"Umm, when will the new pilot arrive?" Shinji asks.

"Ritsuko didn't say but it should be in a few days." Misato responds, "Oh, can you cook dinner? Since Asuka's attempt at cooking burnt the food, you'll need to make it."

"Okay, Misato." Shinji heads back into the kitchen.

* * *

Misato sits up and looks at her clock. 10:30 P.M. 'I can't get any sleep... I wonder if Ritsuko sent the profiles for the pilots yet.' Misato thought. She turns on her laptop and checks her inbox.

Two new messages.

Misato opened the newest one, named 'Eva Pilot Profiles'

She blinks, reading the name of the Sixth Child. 'Kensuke Aida, Pilot of Eva Unit 05.'

"What is the Commander thinking…" Misato began but noticed his Sync score was in the mid 40's. "Well," she said softly, "I suppose we could do worse... but Asuka won't like this very much."

Misato scrolls down and reads the Seventh Child's profile. "Well…I guess I should know what to expect." she mutters to herself.

Seventh Child

Name: Sarah Elenor

Sex: Female

Age: 15

Nationality: American

Hometown: Albany

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 165 lbs

Sarah was born in Albany, New York one week after Second Impact took place. She was raised by her mother, a former genetic researcher. Her father, who was involved in Project-E, died when Sarah was three years old. Her mother died about one year before Third Impact. She tends to be open and friendly, making many friends as a result. Though at times, she enjoys teasing others and flirting with boys, not being serious in either regard. At first, she had no interest in piloting in Eva. However, a short while after the destruction of the Thirteenth Angel, she strived to pilot Eva. Her Sync scores range in the high 60's/low 70's. Her IQ is 157, she can speak fluent English and Japanese, and she practices a self-defensive form of martial arts.

Misato sighs, "Well, she doesn't seem too bad of a person. Hopefully Asuka won't be rude to her when she shows up." she reads down, "Oh, there's something else."

P.S. "Hi Misato, I decided to check when the new pilot will arrive from America. It's in two days (Or tomorrow, depending on whether you decided to check the message in the morning), so I hope she is a welcome addition to your little family."

Sincerely, Ritsuko Akagi.

'Great, I'll barely have enough time to clean the apartment up.' she thought. 'Oh well, I guess it could be worse. Shinji and Asuka living here made the apartment more livable, so it isn't a train wreck like it was before Shinji moved in...'

Misato remembers her second message and opens it, it is titled 'Eva Data.'

Hello Major Katsuragi,

It took some time and effort, but I managed to look into the new Evas that we will be acquiring.

Eva Unit 05 has camo-green armor with dark brown being the secondary color. It's armor design is similar to Unit 00 but it's head is nearly identical to Unit 03's design. It's pilot, surprisingly enough, is Kensuke Aida. It wouldn't be my first choice, according to the profile I looked at, because of his over enthusiasm. But then, it's not up to me, Commander Ikari selected him, and I'm not crazy enough to argue with him.

Eva Unit 06 has dark blue armor with lavender being the secondary color. It's armor design is similar to a combination of Units 01 and 03, and while its head resembles Unit 02, it has three eyes rather than four and two short horns near the back of the head and point out diagonally. It kind of sounds creepy but the picture of it looks pretty awesome. Anyways, it can also be used in underwater combat if necessary. I couldn't get any info on the pilot but Maya told me after I was done writing this that Doctor Akagi was going to send the pilot data to you later, oh well.

From your friend, Lt. Makoto Hyuga

P.S. I found out why they skipped Unit 04's name. It took time but I found out it is being redesigned in the Nerv Branch in Nevada, in my opinion that's a wise move. After all, its activation wiped the Nerv Branch in Nevada off the map. Also... all data on Unit 04 is completely restricted, I even heard rumors that Commander Ikari doesn't know everything about Unit 04's design. I wonder what they are hiding about it, I can't even get data on it's pilot. Oh, I better get back to work, see you later.

She frowns, 'Why hide something about an Eva from even the Commander of Nerv...' Misato thought. She shakes her head, logs off her computer, and heads back to bed.


	2. The New Pilot

A/N: Well now, it's time for introduction of the new Eva Pilots. Asuka will not like the fact Kensuke is an Eva Pilot I bet, and the fact she now has a new roommate won't help her temper. I sort of feel sorry for her but life isn't fair at times. Don't worry, the situation will improve for Asuka next chapter.

A/A/N: I noticed a discrepancy between chapter 1 and 2. It was Kensuke's Sync score, so I fixed it if you noticed.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Evangelion.

* * *

In school, class is now on break. Shinji, along with Kensuke and Toji, are standing on the roof.

"Hey Shinji, did you hear? There's going to be two new Evas! I hope I get to pilot one of them." Kensuke says enthusiastically.

Shinji replies, "Yeah, Misato told me and Asuka last night. She did say that there is a new pilot from America coming to move in with us."

"Aw man!" Kensuke complains, "That means- wait, just one pilot?"

Shinji nods, "That's what Misato said last-"

"Then I still have a chance!" Kensuke cheers.

"Trust me, it isn't worth the trouble." Toji says seriously, "Don't you remember what happened when my Eva got possessed by an Angel?"

Kensuke frowns. "Thanks for spoiling the fun, besides, that won't happen again. The Angels are gone, right?"

"Yes, but piloting Eva isn't meant to be fun. Your life and others depend on what you do." Shinji responds quietly.

"Wow, that sounded deep." Toji mutters.

"Either way," Kensuke continued, "Even if I can't pilot either of the Evas that will arrive today, I hope I can pilot Unit 04."

"Unit 04?" Shinji asks, his expression confused, "Wasn't that destroyed with the Nerv Branch in Nevada?"

Kensuke nods, "Yeah, but it seems it's back to normal. I heard rumors that it'll have really cool upgrades. Wouldn't it be awesome to pilot an Eva that can fly?"

"Fly?" Toji looks doubtful, "How can an Eva fly? It's too heavy."

"Ha! what about the Mass Produced Evas? They can fly!"

"Hmp. I wondered what you stooges were talking about." Asuka remarks scathingly, walking towards them with Hikari walking next to her, "Don't get your hopes up, four-eyes, there is NO way they'd select you to be an Eva Pilot."

"Well if isn't the Devil Incarnate and the class rep." Toji remarks.

"Of course they'd select me. I wouldn't lose to the Eva Series like YOU did-" Kensuke began but was interrupted by Asuka punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Ha! You wouldn't last one minute against them. I only lost because I ran out of power." Asuka retorted, as Kensuke attempts to get back to his feet.

"So you admit you lost?" Kensuke shot back.

"Why I oughta-" Asuka began but was interrupted by the bell ringing.

"Asuka, we have to get back to class." Hikari stepping between them, trying to avoid another fight.

Asuka glares at Kensuke, then snorts and stomps back towards the classroom. Hikari follows her, "Asuka, don't listen to them. You are a great pilot, and as long as you know that, what do their opinions matter?"

Asuka sighs, "I know that Hikari, but I really don't like being teased by those stooges."

"Well," Hikari replies, "I'm sure they have their good points, like Shinji. He doesn't tease you at all."

"Pft, you forgot he is also a coward."

"He has changed a bit after Third Impact you know," Hikari replies calmly, "I've noticed that he stands up for himself sometimes."

Asuka looks annoyed, "I noticed that too. Anyways, you said 'they', who else in that group has good points?"

Hikari looks nervous, blushing slightly, "Umm, it isn't important-"

"Wait a minute. You aren't still in love with Toji, are you…What do you see in that stooge anyways?"

Hikari blushes, "He has his good points." Hikari protests, "You only see one side of him, I see the side of him that is kind and likes to help people."

Asuka shakes her head, "I'll take your word for it." Both Asuka and Hikari enter the classroom and sit down.

* * *

Shinji, Kensuke and Toji watch Asuka and Hikari head back to class. Shinji sighs.

"What's wrong, Shinji?" Toji asks.

"I wish she wouldn't overreact like that." Shinji replies softly.

"Hmp, she has anger management issues." Kensuke grumbles.

They begin walking back to class, out of earshot of Hikari and Asuka, who are walking ahead of them. "Maybe if you didn't argue with her, she wouldn't have punched you." Shinji commented, "Besides, she has changed a little bit."

"Once the Devil Incarnate, always the Devil Incarnate." Kensuke remarked, "Besides, she started it."

"Yeah," Toji replied, "But Shinji is right, she has changed a bit. At least she doesn't get mad over nothing like she used to."

Kensuke nods, "Agreed. Anyways, back to what I was telling you guys earlier. I heard rumors about Unit 04 being able to fly without wings or anything, wouldn't that be awesome?"

Toji nods, his expression doubtful. "How can it fly, though?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure." Kensuke admitted, "I couldn't get much info on it…There were far too many safeguards and firewalls around the information. Anyways, Units 05 and 06 are coming tomorrow right?"

Shinji nods. "Yeah, Misato told me about it."

"I heard that Unit 06 can go underwater and still work, cool right?"

Toji nods, "Yes, but since the Angels are gone, why get more Evas?"

Kensuke replies enthusiastically, "Because they are awesome... that and the other Units are pretty damaged."

Shinji shakes his head, "Misato told me that that people who made the Eva Series are still around."

Kensuke frowns, "I've heard of them. Aren't they called SEELE or something?"

"Yeah. They were also behind Third Impact and the attack on Nerv."

"What a bunch of bastards," Toji remarked, "Why did they try to do that, are they crazy or something?"

Shinji just shrugs. The three of them reach the classroom and take their seats.

* * *

A/N: Script format isn't recommended but I'm using it for SEELE meetings.

The room is dark, absolutely no light is seen until twelve Monoliths appear out of the darkness, each of them with the word 'SEELE' on them and a number from 01 to 12.

SEELE 01: Ikari has yet to learn his place.

SEELE 05: Agreed, he plans to acquire two new Eva Units to strengthen his already weakened forces.

SEELE 07: He will pay for his arrogance when we destroy him and his Evas.

SEELE 01: Has the pilot and Eva been prepared?

SEELE 11: Yes, the pilot is limited in skill and intelligence. However, he is sufficient to put Ikari in his place.

SEELE 12: The Eva is also ready, thanks to our new benefactor's funding.

SEELE 01: Very well, we shall attack at noon tomorrow.

* * *

It is Saturday morning, the sun is obscured by the clouds as a young girl with brown eyes and chestnut-brown hair tied back to form a ponytail looks at the city of Tokyo-3 two miles away at a nearby hilltop. An older man is leaning against a nearby tree with his car parked nearby.

"It's a beautiful city." The young girl says softly, wearing a long sleeved dark blue shirt and a lavender skirt that goes down to her knees.

"Yes," the man replied, "I suppose it is, isn't it."

The girl faces the man, "Thank you for bringing me here from the airport in Tokyo-2, Kaji."

Kaji nods, "It wasn't a problem. Anyways, I wanted to see someone who lives here anyways so..."

She smiles impishly, "It's this Misato I've been hearing about, isn't it?"

Kaji scratches his cheek, "That's right, but I don't think it will be the best welcome for you. Shinji is a nice enough kid but Asuka might not like a roommate."

The girl shrugs, "That isn't a problem. She can probably live with it, and if not, I'll move into Shinji's room." she smiles, "Is he as cute as everyone says he is?"

He shrugs, "That's a matter of personal opinion. Anyways, we better head to the apartment building."

The girl nods as she and Kaji head back to the car.

* * *

"Whew, the apartment is finally clean." Misato said wearily, sitting on the couch.

"Why did I have to help you instead of Shinji doing it?" Asuka complained.

"Because, he is making breakfast, remember?"

"Hmp, I could do that." Asuka mutters.

"Really? I remember your previous attempt at cooking." Misato said teasingly.

"Breakfast is ready." Shinji called from the kitchen, cutting off Asuka's chance to retort to Misato's comment.

"Ok, we're coming" Misato replies cheerfully.

Asuka and Misato walk into the kitchen and sit down at the table. Shinji brings breakfast over, it consists of bacon, eggs, and toast. Shinji sits down and everyone begins to eat.

"When will the new pilot arrive, Misato?" Shinji asks.

"Hmm, probably around noon." Misato replies, "It'll be nice having another girl besides Asuka to talk to."

Asuka snorts, "She'd better not touch my things."

Misato smirks, finding the perfect opportunity to tease Asuka, "You mean like Shinji?"

Both Shinji and Asuka blush. "Shutup! I don't like that idiot!" Asuka snaps at Misato, pointing to Shinji, "Get it through your alcohol-stuffed head-"

"What's that suppose to-" Misato retorts but was cut off by the doorbell.

Misato glances at the clock. 9:30 am. "Well, I guess the pilot is here early." she says calmly, standing up and heading for the door. Shinji and Asuka follow her.

"Hey Misato." Kaji's voice sounds from the other side of the doorway.

Misato froze and then smiled, with tears in her eyes. She quickly opens the door and embraces Kaji fiercely, "How-" Misato began, nearly speechless, "Why-"

"I was revived, thanks to Third Impact." Kaji said, smiling, "Miss me?"

Misato smiles and punches him lightly in the arm, "Idiot."

Kaji looks past Misato and at Shinji, "Thanks Shinji, for allowing everyone to come back to life. You made the right choice."

Shinji merely nods, still unsure he made the right choice.

Kaji glances at Asuka, "You've grown rather pretty, Asuka." Kaji says.

"Hey, what about me?" Misato complains.

Kaji smiles faintly, "You haven't changed much, Misato." Kaji looks at the girl that came with him, unnoticed until now. "I came here mainly to deliver the Seventh Child to your humble abode." Kaji says mockingly.

Misato looks annoyed, but recovers. Shinji and Asuka step out into the hallway and look at the girl. She looks calmly at Misato, Shinji and Asuka. "Hello, my name is Sarah Elenor. Pleased to meet you all."

Misato smiles, "Nice to meet you too. Right, Shinji and Asuka?"

Shinji replies, "Nice to meet you, Sarah."

Asuka, keeping her irritation at the prospect of a roommate down, replies, "Hello."

Sarah looks at Misato, "You're Major Misato Katsuragi, in charge of taking care of the Second and Third Child." Misato looks slightly impressed. Sarah glances at Asuka, "And you're the famous Second Child from Germany, Asuka Langley Souryu.." Asuka's expression becomes less annoyed, "...That lost to the Eva Series." Sarah finishes teasingly.

"EXCUSE ME?" Asuka screams at her.

"Calm down, geez." Sarah complained, "I was just kidding. I read the report of your battle with them, you fought well against them."

Asuka snorts.

Sarah looks at Shinji, "And, of course, the Third Child, Shinji Ikari. The Savior of Humanity." Shinji scratches the back of his head, looking embarrassed by the praise. "And, of course," Sarah continued, smiling faintly, "You are pretty cute looking too."

"Hey! Back off." Asuka said angrily at Sarah.

Sarah raises her eyebrow, "What, are you his girlfriend or something?"

Asuka's face becomes red, "Shutup!" she shouts and tries to slap Sarah.

Sarah steps back, tilting her head back to avoid the slap. "That wasn't very nice, you know." she calmly chides her.

"Okay," Misato says, heading off a potential fight, "Commander Ikari wants the Sync test done as soon as Sarah arrived."

Asuka glares at Sarah and stomps off toward the elevator. Misato sighs, "Lets just head to Nerv HQ."

* * *

As they approach the entrance to Nerv HQ, Toji and Kensuke are seen talking with each other. Asuka shouts, "Hey! Nerv personnel only, four-eyes!"

Toji looks annoyed, "You don't know then, I guess."

Kensuke smirks and shows Asuka his ID Card. Asuka's jaw drops as she reads it, 'Kensuke Aida. Sixth Child, Pilot of Eva Unit 05.'

"Who the hell made him an Eva Pilot?" Asuka demanded Misato, pointing a finger at him.

"Commander Ikari, if you want to argue about it with him." Misato stated calmly.

Asuka mutters to herself, "Great, now all three stooges are Eva Pilots... it's the end of the world."

* * *

Misato stands next to Doctor Akagi, looking at the Sync scores.

Shinji: 83

Asuka: 75

Toji: 43

Kensuke: 32

Sarah: 69

"Hmm, the scores look satisfactory." Ritsuko notes, "Sarah has a good score to start with, Kensuke has a low score, but that's understandable I suppose."

Misato frowns, "Toji's score is low, but then he only piloted once and his Eva was taken over by an Angel, so I guess he's nervous."

Ritsuko nods, "I don't know how either Shinji and Asuka do it, but their scores are fairly good. Considering what they went through, it's surprising they have scores like this."

"I'd have to agree with you there, Rits."

"How did the introduction of the Seventh Child and finding out of Kensuke was the Sixth Child go with Asuka?" Ritsuko asked Misato.

"It could have gone a lot better." Misato said, sighing.

"That bad?"

"It could have been worse, I suppose."

Ritsuko shrugs and looks at the time. "It's almost noon, why don't we get some lunch?"

Misato nods and goes to the comm that connects to the Entry Plugs, "Okay everyone, that's enough for today-" Misato began but was interrupted by the alarm.

Speaker: "NERV Base is under First Stage Alert, all personnel report to your stations immediately."

Misato frowns and returns to the comm, "Change of plan, it seems. Shinji, Kensuke and Sarah, head to your Eva Units immediately. The rest of you are to report to the Command Center, understood?"

Shinji hesitates before nodding.

Sarah smiles and replies "Yes ma'am"

Kensuke cheers, "Yay, I get to- I mean, understood Major Katsuragi." Kensuke tries to hide his excitement.

Asuka sighs, realizing she could do nothing about the situation. "Okay, Misato."

* * *

Misato and Doctor Akagi reach the command center. Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki are present, as well as Hyuga, Aoba, and Maya. "What's the situation?" Ritsuko asks.

"Sensors have detected an unknown target two miles outside the city." Maya replies.

"It has an orange-waveform pattern. It isn't an Angel, but the MAGI are detecting the presence of an S2 Engine." Hyuga says.

"Get me a visual of it." Misato ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Hyuga replies, pulling up a picture of the target. The target is similar in design to an Eva, but there are obvious differences. It has four arms rather than two, it's head is similar to Unit 00, and it's armor looks like it was made recently. Overall, however, the Eva looked like it was just thrown together rather than made correctly.

"Sir, we are receiving a transmission from the target." Hyuga says.

"Put it onscreen." Gendo orders in a monotone voice.

A man in his early 20s appears onscreen with a smug expression. "SEELE has ordered for your complete and total surrender, you have one hour to reply-"

Gendo cuts him off, "Launch Eva Units 05 and 06. Put Unit 01 on standby."

The man looks annoyed, "Very well, it seems I'll have to destroy an Eva or two to get the point across." he snapped, cutting off the transmission.

"You heard the Commander. Launch Evas 05 and 06." Misato ordered.

* * *

"Ok, you two," Misato says seriously over the comm to Sarah and Kensuke as their Evas are launched, "To control the Eva-"

"We know how to do it, Major Katsuragi." Kensuke replies, his plug suit color is camo green.

Sarah nods, her plug suit color is dark blue. "Ritsuko told us how earlier."

"Well, okay.." Misato responds, "Sarah, you have the higher Sync so you take the lead. Kensuke, your backup. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Both of them reply in unison.

"Okay you two, good luck." Misato replies.

Both Evas reach the surface on the outskirts of Tokyo-3. A weapons cache opens in a nearby building. Unit 06 takes a progressive sword and Unit 05 manages to take out a machine gun. "Hey, Kensuke. Having trouble?" Misato asks.

Kensuke nods, "It's a bit harder than I thought, but I think I have the hang of it." he states, moving Unit 05 to the edge of the city and runs over to a hilltop where he lays on the ground and points his gun at the enemy Eva, which is one mile away from the city at this point. Unit 06 stands in it's way.

Suddenly, the comm opens in Unit 06, "So," the man stated with an amused expression, "My opponent is a little girl, how amusing."

"You won't think it's amusing when cut you in half." Sarah replies calmly.

The man cuts the comm. Suddenly the two lower arms, which are more bulky that the upper arms, open up, revealing two energy cannons.

* * *

"Sir, we're detecting a high energy building in the target." Maya reported.

"What?" Misato exclaimed, she activates the comm to Unit 06. "Sarah, get out of there!"

* * *

The Eva fires two beams of energy at Unit 06, but Sarah quickly uses its AT Field to block the attack. The beams continue to fire at Unit 06, pushing it back even with her Unit's AT Field deployed. "I can't do that, Misato." Sarah replies flatly, with strain in her voice. Unnoticed to her, Sarah's umbilical cable was severed, leaving 5:00 minutes of power left.

"I'm giving you an order-" Misato snaps.

"If I move, the city will get hit." Sarah retorted, cut her off. Continuing to get pushed back, her Eva's AT Field near its limit.

Suddenly, the enemy Eva is hit by a barrage of gunfire fired by Unit 05. The enemy pilot is taken by surprise and it's energy cannons are heavily damaged, knocking them offline. Kensuke's voice is heard over the comm, "Lets see you use those laser guns now!"

The enemy Eva draws two progressive swords that were stored on its back, "You die first, brat!" He charges right at Unit 05, jumping above him and slashing down with both sword in a cross formation.

Unit 05 rolls out of the way of the swords, but its umbilical cable is cut. 5:00 minutes of power left. "Damn-" Kensuke is cut off by Unit 05 getting tripped and knocked to the ground. The enemy Eva stabs Unit 05's left leg, pinning it to the ground. Kensuke cries out in pain, clutching his leg from the pain.

"DIE!" The Eva brings its other sword down, attempting to cut Unit 05 in half from the head down. Surprisingly, Unit 05's progressive knife holster opens. Kensuke quickly grabs the knife, deflects the sword so it instead cuts deeply into Unit 05's left arm rather than its head and stabs the enemy Eva right in the left shoulder with it, disabling movement in it.

* * *

"Kensuke's sync ratio just jumped from 32 to 39." Maya said, surprise in her voice.

"However, he can't do anything else at this point." Ritsuko said seriously, "The higher the sync ratio, the more pain is felt. With two injuries that serious, he'll barely be able move at this point."

Misato sighs, "Deactivate Unit 05, Maya. Kensuke can't do anything else."

* * *

Unit 06 slowly gets to its feet, Sarah exhausted from projecting her Eva's AT Field to block the laser cannons. Misato's face appears in the comm. "Sarah, get over to Unit 05, now." she orders, her voice serious. Sarah nods and runs towards Unit 05 and the enemy Eva. The enemy Eva is pulls out the progressive knife stabbed in its left shoulder by Unit 05, it then stabs it into Unit 05's chest. It pulls out the sword that was pinning down Unit 05's leg and just as it is about to stab Unit 05 in the head, it is rammed by Unit 06, causing it to drop its sword.

As the Eva attempts to stand up, Unit 06 slashes across its chest with her sword, damaging it enough to expose its S2 Engine. The Eva trips Unit 06, picks up its sword and slashes down, but Unit 06 rolls out of the way. Using its sword to pin the enemy Eva's sword down, and kicks it in the chest, making it lose it grip on its sword. As the enemy Eva stumble back, Unit 06 grabs the sword the enemy lost and slashes with both swords in a cross formation at the enemy Eva's S2 Engine, but suddenly stops just before hitting it. Sarah looks at her Eva's power supply. 0:00. "NO!"

* * *

"Unit 06 deactivated!" Hyuga shouted.

"Send up Unit 01." Commander Ikari ordered.

* * *

Unit 01 is launched to the surface, arriving outside Tokyo-03 near the target. "Why am I doing this…" Shinji mutters to himself, "I don't even want to fight anymore."

'Fight for your friends.' A woman's voice whispers to Shinji. 'If you don't wish to fight for your own sake, then fight to protect your friends.'

Shinji becomes silent before gripping his controls tightly and charging straight at the enemy. The enemy Eva kicks Unit 06 in the chest before tearing a sword out of one of its hands. "Damn bitch. Making a fool out of me." He stabs down at the fallen Eva Unit, planning to destroy its entry plug and pilot. Unit 01 draws its Prog Knife and deflects the blade before tackling the enemy Eva, knocking it away. "Ah…Unit 01. I was worried about being forced to rip the base apart in order to find and destroy you." His voice is slightly annoyed at the loss of his prey.

"I won't let you hurt my friends." Shinji replies in a soft voice. Unit 01 charges at the Eva before it has time to react, punching him to the ground and pinning its remaining arm to the ground by the joint. At that point, the enemy pilot KNEW he had no way to win against Eva Unit 01 with no way to fight.

"Damn brat…I'll bring you down to hell with me!" He activates the self-destruct program on his Eva Unit. Shinji focuses his Eva's AT Field in front of him and somewhat around the enemy. When the enemy Eva explodes, the AT Field completely suppresses the force of the explosion, protecting Unit 01 from harm.

* * *

"The target has gone silent." Hyuga says with relief in his voice.

"Wow, Kensuke was great out there!" Toji complimented. "And Shinji was just awesome out there!"

"Well, I suppose he did okay... for a beginner." Asuka muttered, referring to Kensuke.

Misato sighed with relief, "Good job out there you guys."

Fuyutsuki frowns, "What did SEELE hope to accomplish by sending an Eva like that against us?" he asks Gendo.

"It was likely they sent it to test the potential of our new Evas and pilots, rather than seriously confront us." Gendo responds in a calm voice. "Had they been serious, they would have sent more than one Eva with an inferior pilot."

"True," Fuyutsuki looks thoughtful, 'Even though they sent an Eva, where did they get the resources to make it...' he wondered to himself.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it, Chapter Two is done. I must say, I planned to put the battle in Chapter Three rather than Two, but then it wouldn't be very fair to the readers huh... That and it was so much fun writing that I couldn't stop. Anyways... Rate, Review, and see you next chapter!


	3. Returning Friend

A/N: Well, I looked into it, and I completely own my character, Sarah Elenor. I said partially before, just in case. At any rate, you've noticed it took a bit longer for this chapter, that's because the first chapter was written down in a word document and the second was halfway done, so expect a new chapter at least once or twice a week. Also, we get to see the return of an old character, partly because of Unit 01's Dummy Plug. Can you guess who?

Also, if writing is in italics, it's in English, not Japanese.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Evangelion or anything related to it. The only thing I own in the story is probably the characters I made (or will make later on).

* * *

It was sunset when Misato, Shinji, Asuka, and Sarah arrive back at the apartment. "Finally home." Misato announced as they enter the apartment. Sarah shuts the door and locks it for Misato. "Okay Sarah, you'll be sleeping with Asuka in her room, okay?"

Sarah nods, "Okay, Misato." She looks at Asuka, "Is there any problems with that, Asuka?"

Asuka shakes her head, "No, I guess not. Just as long as you don't snore or touch anything that is mine without permission."

"Okay." Sarah responds happily, "So, what is for dinner, Misato?"

"Ask Shinji, he is the one that usually cooks." Misato replies.

Sarah looks questioningly at Misato, "Shouldn't you be the one cooking? After all, you are the guardian in this house."

Misato looks slightly annoyed, "Okay, fine. I'll cook-"

Asuka cuts her off quickly, "No, Shinji can cook. Right, Shinji?"

Shinji nods, "Don't worry, Misato." he quickly agrees with her, "I can cook instead."

Misato shrugs and walks off towards the living room to watch T.V. Shinji breathes a sigh of relief as he heads to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"We never let Misato cook dinner because it turns out to be an absolute disaster." Asuka whispers to Sarah, "Believe me, it's so bad that we nearly got food poisoning one time."

"Seriously?" she whispers back.

Asuka nods, "Yeah, so don't ever encourage Misato to cook." Asuka heads toward the kitchen to set the table for dinner.

Sarah noticed Asuka's attitude toward her change after she managed to defeat that Eva. 'I guess Asuka respect pilots that are good, but that doesn't explain her attitude towards Shinji... maybe she doesn't like anyone being better than her.' Sarah thought, 'Or maybe she..' Sarah shrugged and sat in the living room in a chair nearby the couch where Misato sat, watching the Japanese Comedy Channel.

"How do you like Japan so far, Sarah?" Misato asks, muting the TV and facing her.

Sarah shrugs, "It's okay, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Misato replies, "What do you think of Shinji, Asuka, and the other pilots?"

Sarah smiled, "I can tell all of them are nice people, despite some faults in a few of them."

"Even Asuka?"

Sarah nods, "I can tell that she is hiding a wounded heart too."

Misato looks slightly surprised but recovers, "Did you read her profile?"

Sarah shakes her head, "No, I didn't. I don't look into other people's history because it isn't any of my business."

"Then how did you know that?" Misato asks curiously.

Sarah frowns and stares at the ceiling, "For as long as I remember, I've been able to... I can't really describe it, I just have feelings about things."

"Like intuition?" Misato asks.

Sarah nods, "That's probably the best term to describe it. The ability happens sometimes and is easy to figure out."

"Has it every been wrong?" Misato asks curiously.

Sarah sighs sadly, "No, and there are times I wish it was."

Misato stares at her, "What do you mean?"

Before Sarah could reply, Shinji's voice is heard, "It's dinner time."

"We should go eat, Misato." Sarah says calmly, her expression no longer sad, "I'm starving." Sarah leaves the room before Misato could question her further.

Misato shrugs, "I guess she doesn't want to talk about it."

"Hey Misato!" Asuka shouts from the kitchen, "We'll start eating without you if you don't hurry up!"

"I'm coming." Misato replies, turning the TV off and heading for the kitchen.

* * *

"So, what's it like living in America?" Shinji asks Sarah curiously.

"It is kinda fun, my school didn't have a uniform code though." Sarah replies calmly, taking a bite of cooked ham. "You are a really good cook, Shinji."

"Err, thanks."

"Of course he's a good cook, he'd have to be for us to survive in this house where Misato can't cook shit without the house burning down." Asuka remarked.

"Hey, I cook better than you do, Asuka." Misato retorts.

"If you mean that instant crap, then I'll agree." Asuka shot back.

"Do these argument usually happen?" Sarah asks curiously.

Shinji sighs, "Unfortunately, yes."

"How about you discuss cooking with your boyfriend, Asuka? I'm sure he can teach you how to cook, among other things." Misato says teasingly.

"That idiot is NOT my boyfriend!" Asuka shouts, redfaced, pointing at Shinji.

"I didn't say Shinji though." Misato says blandly.

Asuka glares at Misato, and goes back to her food. Sarah watches Shinji and Asuka closely, remembering their reactions toward each other earlier. Suddenly, Sarah laughs.

"What's so funny." Asuka demands.

"Oh, it's nothing." Sarah said innocently, her expression faintly amused.

* * *

"Since this was short notice, I'll sleep on the floor." Sarah says to Asuka.

Asuka shakes her head, "It's okay, you can use my bed for tonight."

Asuka and Sarah are in Asuka's room, trying to decide who will sleep in the bed and who will sleep on the floor.

"I insist, Asuka." Sarah said firmly, "I brought a sleeping bag just in case I go camping." She frowns, "Where will I put the rest of my stuff when it arrives though..." she asks herself thoughtfully.

Asuka sighs, "Okay, if you insist, you can sleep on the floor."

"Thank you," Sarah replies happily, "After all, it's rude to impose, considering I just moved in." Sarah unrolls her sleeping bag and lays down in it.

Asuka lays down in her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Was the offer to use your bed meant as an apology or something?" Sarah asks curiously.

Asuka looks at her, "Not really, I just felt like doing something nice for some reason, I guess."

Both of them lay down in silence, almost no light in the room except a small window where moonlight shone through.

"How do you feel about him?"

Asuka blinks and looks at Sarah, "What do you mean?"

"How do you feel about Shinji?"

"Oh," Asuka shrugs, "He's a coward, an idiot at times, and-"

"No," Sarah said firmly, cutting her off, "Tell me the truth. How do you feel about him?"

Asuka becomes silent, "I won't tell him or Misato, you know." Sarah says softly.

For some reason, Asuka was in an odd mood today and didn't know why she was acting so nice. "...I don't know." Asuka replies softly, "He apologizes too often, but he always cares about other people...I guess I like him."

Sarah nods, "I understand. I've seen relationships like that." she pauses, "Well, sort of like that. They didn't include Angels, Evas, or the possible end of the world though."

Asuka chuckles at that remarks, "Speaking of relationships, do you have anyone you like?"

Silence.

"I asked you a personal question so it's only right that I answer." Sarah replies softly, "Yes, there is a boy I like. However, I never admitted my feelings for him."

"Why not?"

"I was afraid he wouldn't feel the same way, I guess." Sarah replies sadly, "I suppose it's too late to tell him now."

"You could tell him over the phone or when you return to America, you know." Asuka suggested.

A soft sob is heard from Sarah.

"Sarah?" Asuka asks, her voice slightly concerned, "You okay?"

"It's nothing..." Sarah replies, her voice still slightly sad, "I'm just tired, goodnight Asuka."

"Okay. Goodnight Sarah." Asuka replied, shrugging, 'I wonder what that was about.'

* * *

SEELE 01: Our benefactor was not pleased at first about the attack on Nerv until I informed him the reason behind it.

SEELE 02: He still wasn't pleased at the reason though, correct Keel?

SEELE 01: No, he fully understood the reason. He has suggested we take Nerv seriously, before their Evas are all fully repaired.

SEELE 07: Should we attempt to hack the MAGI again?

SEELE 04: That won't work. Ritsuko Akagi is too skilled, and she might be able to trace it back to us.

SEELE 09: Another direct assault wouldn't work either, their Evas would tear our ground and air forces to pieces. Assuming, of course, we had any to use. The nations of the world no longer trust us, thanks to Ikari.

SEELE 12: The Eva Series isn't ready for battle yet, and until it is, we won't be able to seriously confront them.

SEELE 06: Perhaps our benefactor could do something, rather than order us around.

SEELE 01: He is gracious enough to fund our operations. His only conditions were to provide the Eva Series and Evangelion Unit 01.

SEELE 08: Is he planning to initiate 3rd Impact, something that we failed to complete due to Ikari's son?

SEELE 01: Correct. He also has given me part of the Dead Sea Scrolls I never knew existed. It is the reason I accepted his aid.

SEELE 05: This is the first I have heard of this Keel.

SEELE 08: Same here. Why didn't you mention this earlier?

SEELE 01: It was not necessary at the time. I have just sent a copy of the translations of this new section of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered by our benefactor to each of you.

SEELE 11: Very well. Can you give us a summary of what it says, Keel?

SEELE 01: I will state that it makes many things clear. Such as the truth behind the First Impact, the event that caused the separation of the Moon and the Earth.

SEELE 09: What do you mean? What was the truth behind it?

SEELE 01: If you want to know, read the copy of the document I just sent you. After you do, we shall decide on a course of action.

* * *

Ritsuko Akagi is looking over the data recorded on the Magi of the fight with the enemy Eva, glancing at sync ratios in particular. 'So, Kensuke topped off at 37 and Sarah at 70. Pretty good for beginners.' The phone rings and she picks it up. "Hello, Doctor Akagi speaking."

"Doctor Akagi, prepare Unit 01's Dummy Plug system."

"Oh, hello Commander Ikari." she pauses, "If you don't mind me asking, what for?"

"The First Child has returned."

"WHAT? She's alive?" Ritsuko looked incredulous, "But…how and when-"

"Internal sensors detected her appear out of nowhere, Doctor Akagi." Ikari's cold voice cuts her off. "It is unknown why she has returned or how, but for her to wake up, she'll need Unit 01's Dummy Plug."

"…Understood. I'll get to work right away."

* * *

Sarah yawns and looks over at Asuka, who hasn't woken up yet. She glances at the clock, it reads 7:03 am. 'I complained about being tired, yet she is the one who slept in.' She shrugs, gets dressed in the school uniform she'll have to wear today. 'Hm, not very showy, is it? Oh well, I hope there'll be some cute boys in the school.'

Before her eyes flashes the face of a young man. He has slightly unruly black hair and deep blue eyes. His face is kind, serene even, as he looks straight at her and says-

'No...I don't want to remember that...the last thing he said to me before...' She sighs sadly and opens the door to the room and walks out. Shinji is also up, preparing to make breakfast. "Morning, Shinji." she says to him, yawning.

Shinji jumps slightly and turns around, "Oh, hello Sarah. I'm just preparing breakfast."

"Oh, okay." Sarah sits down in the living room, on the couch. She looks on the table but doesn't see the remote for the television. She frowns, "Where is the TV remote?" she wonders out loud. She is about to stand up and look for it when the TV remote is handed to her by a penguin that was sitting her to her, previously unnoticed. "Oh, thanks." she thanks the penguin.

"WARK." PenPen responds.

Sarah is still slightly sleepy so it takes her a full 5 seconds to realize the TV remote was handed to her by a penguin. _"What the hell?" _she shouted in surprise, jumping out of her seat and over the side of the couch.

"What's wrong?" Shinji asks, looking out into the living room. Sarah just points a shaky finger at the penguin. "Oh, that's Misato's pet penguin, PenPen."

"WARK." PenPen looks at Shinji.

"Pet what?" she demands as the penguin gets off the couch and waddles into the kitchen.

"A penguin." Shinji replies, "It kind of startled me the first time I saw it."

The penguin tugs at Shinji's pants, looking up at him expectantly. "Don't worry PenPen, I have a fish for you to eat for breakfast." Shinji drops the fish, the penguin catches it with it's mouth and swallows it in one gulp. The penguin waddles to the refrigerator, grabs a can of beer, and opens it. It drinks part of it, waddles into his freezer that acts like it's private room, enters and then shuts the door behind him. Sarah watches the penguin. "It.. drinks BEER?" she asks Shinji, her expression stunned.

"Yeah, probably a bad habit it got from Misato." Asuka said from the doorway of her room. "Morning everyone. It's actually nice not being woken up by Misato's hangover." Asuka turns to Misato's room as the door opens, "Well, speak of the devil."

Misato walks out, obviously in a hangover, and into the kitchen. She grabs a can of beer, opens it, drinks about half of it and..

"YEEEAAAAH! Now that's how to start your morning."

"...Does that happen often?" Sarah asks Asuka with amazement in her voice, not really believing she actually saw that.

"Unfortunately, yes." she sighs.

"Misato, do you know how irresponsible you are being getting drunk first thing in the morning?" Sarah demands.

She snorts, "How about you relax and act your age. You seem too mature for a 15 year old to me."

"Take your own advice, Misato." Sarah retorts, "You are 29 years old, so stop acting like some alcohol-crazed teenager."

"Yeah!" Asuka says, agreeing with Sarah.

"Tch." Misato looks annoyed, "Shinji, when will breakfast be ready?"

"In five minutes, why?"

"I was going to suggest you teach your wife how to cook breakfast, but you are almost done huh?" Misato stated blandly.

Shinji blushes, and looks away. "What the hell, Misato?" Asuka demands, her own face red, "How about you go cuddle up to Kaji?"

"How about you mind your own business?" Misato retorts.

Sarah laughs, both Asuka and Misato glare at her, "What's so funny?" Both of them asking at the same time.

"Living here is almost like being in some TV drama," she says, giggling.

"Breakfast is ready." Shinji announces, his face still red from Misato's earlier comment.

"Hmp." Asuka sits down across from Misato, Shinji brings breakfast, which consists of orange juice, German sausages, and some leftovers from last night's meal. Asuka looks at the German sausages, "You better have better cooked these right."

"He usually cooks very well, Asuka." Misato replying for Shinji, "He can cook wonders, unlike you." she states teasingly.

"Misato. Why do you constantly try to annoy Asuka?" Sarah asks before Asuka could respond.

She smirks, "It's funny to watch her explode in anger."

"HEY! That is NOT funny!" Asuka shouts at her, jumping to her feet and slamming her hands on the table in front of her.

"Well, you don't have a very good sense of humor." Sarah states flatly.

"It's not as fun when it's two against one." Misato sighs, "Do all of you have everything ready for school?"

"Of course we do, Misato." Asuka replies, still faintly annoyed, "We don't forget things like you do."

Misato glares at Asuka but lets that pass. "Okay, good. You'll have to head out in 30 minutes, so make sure you take a bath and finish breakfast before you leave."

* * *

"Hello everyone." Sarah says brightly, standing in front of the class, "My name is Sarah Elenor. It is a pleasure to meet you all." She winks at the boys in the classroom, most of them paying more attention to her than they ever did to the teacher. Some of the boys start whispering to each other.

"Wow, look at her." One of the boys whispered.

"Seriously, she is hot." Another boy whispered.

"Yeah, but Asuka is still hotter." A third boy whispers.

"True, but she has anger issues." The first boy whispers. "I wouldn't even go NEAR her."

"Alright," their teacher said in a bored sounding voice, "Settle down everyone. Sarah, there is an empty seat next to-" However, Sarah had already begun to walk over to the seat that is next to both Hikari and Asuka. "Well then, never mind." The teacher shakes his head, "Anyways, we are also welcoming back an old student."

A girl with short blue hair, red eyes, and albino colored skin walks into the classroom, causing a gasp of surprise coming from some of the Eva pilots. Not so much at the appearance of the girl, but who she is. She writes her name on the chalkboard and faces the class, "My name is Rei Ayanami." she says in a monotone voice.

* * *

A/N: Yes, it is Rei, and if you guessed right, faint applause to you. Anyways, next time, we will see how her reappearance is taken by the Eva Pilots (The gasp of surprise kinda gave it away though). Another SEELE meeting, and the past of the newest Eva Pilot, Sarah Elenor.

Stay tuned!


	4. A Tragic Past

A/N: As I said last chapter, you'll get to see Sarah's past (From her point of view). I'll eventually put the entire past from a third person perspective in a later chapter, but I've chosen to do it this way for now. Keep an eye on some of my notes before the story, I'll put some minor spoilers for later stuff in there sometimes.

A/A/N: Oh, I almost forgot. When the flashback to Sarah's Past begins, I'll type Flashback in bold and it won't end until Present Time appears in bold. This is just to make sure readers don't get confused (Yes, some people will get confused if I don't say it.)

* * *

"What the HELL are you doing here Wondergirl?" Asuka demands, her face and voice filled with surprise and anger, "I thought that-" Asuka stops herself, remembering that the exact details of Third Impact aren't known to the general public. Nerv chose to keep it that way for two reasons. One was that the majority of people would be fairly skeptical more than a little freaked out that the fate of all humanity rested on a 14 year old boy who was more than a little emotionally unstable at the time. The second reason was that Shinji didn't need or want the publicity and popularity from saving the world, Misato insisted on that.

The class generally ignored the outburst, except Toji and Kensuke, who decided to annoy Asuka. "Hey, Asuka." Toji said in a mocking voice, "I thought you were suppose to fight with your husband, not with Rei."

"Shutup stooge!" She shouted at him, her face red from anger and embarrassment.

"Enough!" The teacher shouted with an annoyed face, "Rei, you may sit in your old seat."

Rei nods, "That is acceptable." She walks back to her old seat and calmly unpacks her notebook.

Sarah looks at Rei curiously, her expression thoughtful. "Who is she?" she whispers to Asuka.

Asuka, still looking slightly startled from Rei's sudden appearance, glances at Sarah, "You don't know?" Asuka whispers back.

"That's kind of why I'm asking."

"She's the First Child."

Sarah blinks, "The First Child? Didn't she disappear or die or something like that after Eva Unit 00 self-destructed?"

Asuka shakes her head, "Not exactly. Misato explained it to me a few days after 3rd Impact. It took awhile to believe that-"

"Asuka." The teacher said with annoyance, glancing at her, "If what your talking about is so interesting, why not discuss it with the rest of the class."

"Sorry, teacher." Asuka responds, glancing at Sarah and mouthing off the words 'I'll tell you later.' Sarah nods.

* * *

Asuka and Sarah are standing in one of the corners of the roof. After the bell for break rang, some of the boys decided to try to talk with her. She liked flirting at times, but her curiosity about the strange feeling she got from seeing Rei was stronger than her urge to flirt. She zoomed out of the room the moment the bell rang for break.

"Eh? She's not even HUMAN?" Sarah demanded, her expression shocked and horrified.

"Will you keep it down so the rest of the school doesn't find out?" Asuka said quietly.

"I'm sorry.." she apologized, her voice uneasy, "But seriously, what the hell?"

"It's a long story, but the summary is this. Rei was created with the cells of a human and the second Angel, Lilith. She was also used for the dummy system."

"The what system?"

"It's like an artificial Eva pilot."

Sarah shudders, "No wonder she kind of creeped me out, but why the hell would anyone make someone like that?"

Asuka shrugs, "I don't know the details. Misato left things out when she told me about it, and Shinji won't talk about what happened during 3rd Impact, not even with me or Misato."

"I'll ask Misato later, I guess." Sarah shrugged, "Oh, it looks like Shinji and those two guys came up." she said, pointing at Shinji, Kensuke and Toji as they walk over to the other side of the roof, "Lets see what they are up to." she suggested impishly.

Asuka shakes her head, "No thanks, I'm not in the mood to deal with those stooges comments."

Sarah shrugged and starts walking towards Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji.

* * *

"That fight was awesome! I was like shooting that guy and I destroyed his lasers. Then he tried to pin me down and-" Kensuke said enthusiastically.

"We know Kensuke, we all SAW the fight." Toji grumbled, "And this is like the SEVENTH time you are talking about it. Geez..."

"Bah. I was still awesome out there, and it was fun too."

"Wouldn't the fact that you FELT the injuries your Eva got dampen your enthusiasm?"

Kensuke frowned, "It did, sort of. However, in that life or death battle, I didn't have the time to worry about pain."

Shinji opens his mouth to say something but Kensuke cut him off. "I know what you are going to say Shinji. 'Eva is not about having fun, it's about protecting others.'"

"Umm, actually I was going to say that-"

"Wait, I know. You want to congratulate me for being awesome out there, right?"

Shinji gives up and points behind Kensuke. He blinks and turns around, "Oh, hi Sarah."

Sarah looks faintly annoyed, "Try not to let piloting Eva go to your head. The reason you survived that was the Pilot was incompetent and Eva looked like it was dug out of a trash heap, and I was there." She frowns, "Well, Shinji was the one who won in the end because you and I helped."

"Ha! See, she even agrees with me."

Sarah rolls her eyes and looks at the sky, _"Why can't men grow up?"_

"What did you say?" Shinji asks her curiously.

"It's just English, it wasn't important." she responds calmly. "What are you three talking about anyways?"

Toji snorted, "Kensuke we just telling us the fight we all saw for the thousandth time-"

"No," he protested, "It was the seventh time."

"How is that any better?"

Kensuke ignores this, "Hey Sarah, you are from America right?"

"Yeah, I told everyone that already." Sarah's face is amused, "If you are going to ask if there any hot girls there that might be interested in you, I'd have to answer no." She stated teasingly.

"No! I was going to ask-" Kensuke began.

"What about me?" Toji asked, cutting Kensuke off.

Sarah looks amused, "I was under the impression you liked Hikari. How about you ask her out or something?"

Toji blushed, "That's none of your business!" he glares angrily at Shinji and Kensuke, who are laughing at him. "Besides," he points at Shinji, "Don't you already have a wife?"

Shinji blushes red, "She isn't my wife!"

"Oh really-" Toji began to say, but was interrupted by getting hit in the head with Hikari's schoolbag.

"Will you grow up?" Hikari demanded.

"Ow, that hurt! What'd I do?"

"Hmp" Hikari walks away, walking over to Asuka.

"What's with her?" Toji asked, his face baffled.

Sarah rolls her eyes, "You have absolutely no understanding of women, do you?"

"What does that mean?" Toji demanded.

Sarah was about to reply but Kensuke cuts her off, "Hey, Sarah. Since your from America, do you know anything about Eva Unit 04?" he asks enthusiastically.

Her body freezes the second he says 'Eva Unit 04'. Kensuke continues, not aware of her reaction, "I bet it has boost thrusters so it can fly. Or maybe laser cannons or freeze missiles. Since your from America, you probably know something about it-" he began but was interrupted by getting punched in the face, knocking him into the fence that surrounds the roof.

Sarah glares at him, her normally kind, impish expression filled with anger, her fist clenched in front of her. Hikari and Asuka notice this, and look at Sarah in surprise. Shinji was stunned, and Toji as well, but also slightly angry. "What the hell was the for?" he demanded Sarah, "Why'd you hit-" Toji continued.

_"SHUTUP!"_ her angry voice cutting him off, _"That piece of shit Eva deserves to rot in HELL for taking the person I loved more than anything else in the world away from me!" _she screamed at him in English. Everyone on the rooftop stares at her, some of the faces surprised or shocked. Sarah suddenly realizes what she just said, "P-Please excuse me.." she mumbles in Japanese, her voice choked with sorrow. She quickly runs away, tears streaming down her face as she leaves the rooftop, heading down the stairs and back into the school. Hikari runs after her, her face concerned. Asuka, however, approaches the three of them, her face livid with anger.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Asuka demands Kensuke.

"I didn't do any-" he began to explain, but was picked up by the front of the shirt and pinned against the fence.

"Don't lie to me, you son of a-"

"He didn't do anything," Toji said, his face annoyed, "He just was talking about Eva Unit 04 and then she punched him for no reason and then screamed at him."

"Toji is telling the truth, Asuka." Shinji said softly, "Please let Kensuke go."

Asuka glares at him, then lets go of Kensuke. "If I find out you did anything to her," she says flatly at Kensuke, "I'm going to make the Angels look like saints after I'm through with you."

Kensuke nods violently, cowering in fear at that threat. Asuka turns around and runs back into the school, going to help Hikari look for Sarah.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with me…" Sarah asks herself, her voice still sad as she stares at her reflection in the girls bathroom mirror. "I've never let my anger and sadness control my actions like that…the only time I've ever lost control of my emotions was-" Her eyes fill with tears again. "No!" She cries out at herself, "Stop thinking about that incident already...every time I do, it feels like my soul is being ripped apart." Sarah shakes her head, "I can't believe I hit Kensuke... he didn't do anything wrong and he was curious so-"

A Eva with silver colored armor and a design nearly identical to Unit 03 with black and red as the secondary color appears in her head. A young man, around 15 years old is standing next to it. He is wearing a plug suit that is silver in color, with sky blue as the secondary color. His face is calm, serene even. His black hair is slightly unkempt, his deep blue eyes straight at her. He smiles at her, _"Don't worry, I'll be fine. You don't need to be worried about me." _he says softly in English.

Sarah falls to her knees and sobs, "You idiot…why didn't you listen to me…Did you know what would happen?"

* * *

A/N: Everything is in English so I'm not using italics.

**Flashback**

"So, that's Eva Unit 04." Sarah softly says, staring at it. She is wearing a dark blue dress with high heels on. Her expression is concerned and she shudders, 'Why do I have a bad feeling about this thing...'

"Hey! You aren't allowed in here." A technician snaps angrily to her, working on the area the S2 Engine is installed.

"She is with me." A familiar voice replies behind her. She quickly turns around, and a boy with slightly unruly black hair and deep blue eyes dressed in a plain white shirt and dark blue sweatpants is standing five feet away. "Hello Sarah, how have you been?" he asks softly.

Sarah blushes faintly, "Oh, I've been fine. It's been two years since I last saw you." she hesitates, "Are you still depressed about your mother? She died three years ago."

He shakes his head, "I used to be but...when I saw Eva Unit 04...I almost feel as if she is still around, watching over me."

"I don't like it." Sarah says softly, "Every time I look at that thing, I feel a shudder go through my entire body."

"It doesn't seem that way to me." he replies in a soft voice.

Sarah shakes her head, "Anyways, when will you pilot it?"

"In one week. Unit 03 is already finished but the U.S. government wants to test this Eva first because of it's S2 Engine and the other upgrades."

"S2 Engine?" Sarah looks baffled.

"It supplies an unlimited power supply. It's the first time an Eva will be activated with one. If it works, it will really help fight the Angels." he explains.

"Why did you agree to pilot this thing?"

Patrick looks at Eva Unit 04, his expression thoughtful as he replies in a soft voice, "At first I refused but when I saw it...I just felt I had to."

Sarah sighs, "Well, I'd better head back to my room."

"Okay, Sarah." Patrick hugs her briefly, causing Sarah to blush, "I'll see you later."

Sarah nod, her cheeks still flaming as she heads back to her room.

* * *

"So, what did it look like?" a young girl around 14 years old with blonde hair and green eyes asks Sarah, her face appearing on a messaging system on Sarah's laptop.

"Hm? Oh, it was silver with red and black details." Sarah replies, her expression abstracted, obviously focused on something else.

"Oh?" the girl looks amused, "Watcha thinking about, Sarah? Probably how hot your boyfriend looks in his plug suit."

Sarah blushes, "Jessica! He isn't even wearing his plug suit yet."

The girl giggles, "You said 'yet' Sarah, so you really were thinking about it." Jessica replies, "Why not just tell him how you feel? You've been in love with him for three and a half years already."

Sarah sighs, "I want to, God knows I want to but…I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same way."

"Sarah," Jessica looks seriously at her, "I've been your friend for 6 years and I've watched how he acts around you and how he looks at you when you don't notice. He obviously feels the same way, Sarah. Just tell him."

"But-"

"No 'buts', tell him the next time you see him."

"Stop making it sound so easy!" Sarah complained.

"Sarah, just stand up for yourself. You have nothing to lose." there is some background noise and a voice, "Great…" Jessica's voice is annoyed, "Mom is threatening to ground me if my homework isn't finished in an hour. Sorry, I've got to go." The screen disappears.

'Nothing to lose. She doesn't get it does she…if I admit my feelings for him but he doesn't feel the same, we could lose out friendship…' Sarah thought to herself sadly.

* * *

"Okay…get your courage together, Sarah. The activation test is today, I can't hold this off any longer, just in case something bad happens." Sarah says firmly to herself, "Every time I look at that Eva, it seems like I'm about to lose something important to me…like-" She pauses, her face becoming pale as an image of an event goes through her head. "No…that can't happen but…" Sarah quickly runs out of her room and towards the Eva Cage where Unit 04 is stored and will be tested in. She enters the Eva Cage room just as Patrick walks in a side door, wearing A10 Nerve clips and his silver plug suit with sky blue as the secondary color. 'Holy shit…' Sarah looks at Patrick, 'Wait- stop thinking about how hot he looks in that. I have to tell him.'

Patrick notices Sarah run up to him and looks at her curiously, "What's wrong, Sarah? Your face seems a bit pale."

"I have a bad feeling about this, Patrick. Please don't pilot it." Sarah says insistently.

Patrick looks at her calmly, "Nothing is wrong with the Eva, Sarah."

"Will you listen to me?" Sarah says angrily at him, "For the past week, every time I've looked at that monstrosity, I've felt something bad about it." Tears form in her eyes, "Please," she begs him, "Don't pilot it…I don't want to lose you." Sarah closes her eyes to stop herself from crying and hugs him tightly, not intending to let him go.

"I don't want to lose you either." he says softly, hugging her back. "That's why I have to do this, so I can protect you and this world from the Angels." Sarah loosens her grip on him and stares at him, her eyes filled with love. "When I come back, I have something to tell you." he turns around to hide his blushing face, "And I think you want to say the same thing to me." he says softly.

Sarah just stares at him as he walks toward the elevator that will take him to the Eva's Entry Plug. "Wait, Patrick!" she shouts after him. What happens next is forever remembered in her heart.

He turns around, his face is calm, serene even, as his deep blue eyes seem to look straight into her heart as he says softly to her, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. You don't need to be worried about me." He enters the elevator that goes to where the Entry Plug is. Sarah just stares where he was a second ago, not moving until her thoughts are interrupted by the communications system.

Speaker: The Activation of Eva Unit 04 will commence shortly. All personnel please leave the Eva Cage for your own safety.

Sarah shakes her head, attempting to clear the image out of her head as she leaves the room and takes a nearby elevator to go up to the observation level.

* * *

"Are you ready, Patrick?" A woman in her late 30s with short dark blonde hair asks, wearing the uniform that signifies she is the commander of this base.

"I am, Samantha." he replies calmly as Sarah enters the lower level of the room, which overlooks the Eva.

"That's 'Commander' Samantha to you, Patrick." she looks annoyed.

"Sorry, Commander. I'm ready to begin the activation test."

"Umm, sir." one of the technicians says, "There's a young girl in the observation deck."

"Oh," Patrick replies, "Just let her watch. You probably couldn't drag her out of here without a crowbar at this point anyways."

Samantha sighs, "Alright. Start the activation test."

"Inserting Entry Plug... Entry Plug inserted." one of the technicians say.

"Main power online, all circuits functioning normally." another technician responds,

"A10 neural synapses operating within normal limits."

Samantha breathes in deeply, "Okay, any issues so far?"

"None, sir."

Sarah watches the activation test, her expression worried. 'Please be okay, Patrick.'

"Alright, activate the S2 Engine." Samantha orders.

A soft humming noise is heard from the Eva Unit as the S2 Engine activates. Suddenly alarms go off.

"Sir," one of the technician shouts, "We are detecting an Anti-AT Field being generated inside the S2 Engine!"

"What?" the commanders voice is shocked, "Shut it down now!"

"...It won't shut down! It isn't accepting our command codes!"

"What's the status of the Pilot?" she demanded.

"Unknown, we can't open communications with the Pilot or even detect anything inside the Entry Plug!"

"GET HIM OUT OF THERE NOW!" Sarah screams at them.

Samantha hesitates, "We have no choice, we'll have to accept possible mental damage to the pilot. Forcefully eject the Entry Plug."

The technicians start typing rapidly. Error messages appear. "It isn't working! The Eva isn't accepting any of our commands!"

"Why not?" Sarah demands angrily, "Didn't you idiots make this monster? Why can't you even control it?"

"Shutup!" The commander snaps at Sarah, and then turns to the technician, "Get that Eva's restraints off and set the launcher to maximum power. We have to get that thing as far away from here as possible before the Anti-AT Field grows strong enough to shatter the S2 Engine. If that happens, there won't even be a trace of the Nerv Base ever being here."

"You bitch!" Sarah screamed at her, "You are just going to let him die?"

"We have no choice! He knew the risks when he chose to pilot. We can't do anything to help him at this point."

Sarah slaps the commander in the face, then runs out of the room and into the Eva Cage through the observation deck. All the technicians just stare in surprise at what just happened. The commander sighs, "You heard my orders, follow them."

* * *

Sarah runs along the grated flooring to the elevator bridge and reaches it just as it begins to retract. She swears angrily and jumps at the Eva, barely managing to grab onto one of the chest plates. "Damnit…" she tries to pull herself up with her hands but loses her grip and begins to fall. She screams as the she rapidly approaches the ground, closing her eyes in fear. After five seconds, she opens her eyes and realizes she didn't hit the floor and is in Eva Unit 04's hand. "P-Patrick?" she asks the Eva fearfully. It almost seems to nod its head.

Speaker: Warning. Eva Unit 04's S2 Engine Activation Test has failed. All personnel-

The speaker system in the Eva Cage breaks from the electromagnetic energy being generated. Sarah notices a strange orange light around her. "Is this-" she looks sharply at Unit 04, which is glowing a radiant golden color, its AT Field infused into the armor plates. 'Is this one of the upgrades Patrick was talking about?' Four silver colored plate pieces that she noticed were laying on the ground earlier are floating around her, generating an AT Field that surrounds her. Eva Unit 04's S2 Engine shatters, the Anti-AT Field spreading very rapidly and causing an explosion that takes out Unit 04 and anything else within a 49 kilometer radius. Sarah is knocked out from the force of the shock wave.

* * *

Sarah slowly opens her eyes and realizes she is no longer in Unit 04's hand but laying down on sand. The four silver colored plate pieces, now that she looks closely at them, almost resemble crosses. They are heavily cracked and break down into ashes, the wind blowing the remains of them away. Sarah stands up and finally notices she is at the edge of a very large crater with a large cross made of energy glowing in the exact center of it. A halo spreads out from the tip of the cross and breaks down, vanishing. Tears roll down her eyes as she understands what just happened. 'He protected me…even though he knew he would die…and now he's gone forever…' She drops to her knees and screams in pain and unbearable loss, weeping uncontrollably.

* * *

**Present Time**

"Where could she have gone?" Hikari asked Asuka, her expression worried.

"I don't know...but we have only searched the third floor." Asuka replied, frowning.

"Are you sure those guys didn't say anything mean to her?"

Asuka nods, "Shinji looked straight at me and said so. Yes, I'm sure Hikari."

Hikari looks at her speculatively, "You like him don't you?"

"What do you- wait." Asuka hears a faint sobbing noise. "I think I heard her." She runs down the hall and into the girls room, Hikari following close behind. Sarah is crouched on the floor, her hands covering her face as she sobs softly. "Sarah, are you okay?" Asuka asks softly, touching her shoulder.

Sarah sniffles, pulling her hands away from her eyes, which are puffy from her crying. "I-I-I-'m f-f-fine." she attempts to respond in a level tone, but her voice is still choked with sorrow.

"What did Kensuke do to you?" Asuka asks her calmly.

Sarah shakes her head, "I-I have to apologize to him…I-I overreacted…" Her tone of voice clearer.

"Please answer me."

"He did…nothing wrong Asuka. I just overreacted to a comment about-" she chokes back a sob, "I'm sorry, if I mention it now, I'll start crying again."

"…Would you like Misato to pick you up?" Asuka asks gently.

"N-No, I'll be fine." Sarah struggles to her feet, leaning against the nearby wall and looking in the mirror. She giggles sadly, "I look like a mess, don't I?"

"That's partly why I suggested you go home with Misato. You can talk with her about what's wrong." Asuka smiles faintly, "She has her faults, but she is almost like our mother to me and Shinji."

Sarah sniffles and smiles, "I think I might take your suggestion then." she looks at Hikari, "Umm, can you bring Kensuke here? I should at least apologize to him…and probably Toji too, for yelling at him."

Hikari looks at her, her face still concerned, "Are you sure?" Sarah nods. She sighs, "Okay, just don't yell at him or anything like that."

* * *

Misato is leaning back in her chair at home, drinking a canned beer and enjoying her first day off since Third Impact occurred. The phone rings, startling her and causing her to lose her balance, hitting her head on the counter. She was not in good humor when she picked up the phone. "Who is it?" she demanded.

"Misato, it's me." It was Asuka, her voice strangely calm even though Misato's greeting was far from cordial. Big warning sign for Misato.

"What is it Asuka? Are you sick?" Misato asks in a concerned voice.

"No it's…Sarah broke down crying…and I think you should bring her home."

"Eh? What happened?"

"I don't know exactly. She just managed to calm down and I don't want her to start up again."

"Okay, I'll head right over." Misato says, ready to hang the phone up.

"Misato…there's one other thing." Asuka's voice sounds troubled.

"What is it?"

"Did you read anything about Unit 04 in her profile?" Asuka asks seriously.

"…I only read a brief summary, but no, I didn't see anything about it. Why do you ask?"

"…I'm just curious, I guess. Anyways, see you soon." Asuka hangs up.

'Curious about Eva Unit 04 when talking about a friend who just broke down crying?' Misato thinks for a moment, 'I'm asking Ritsuko about this. She probably has Sarah's full history.'

* * *

"Apologize?" Toji demands angrily, "After what she did, she'd better do more than apologize."

Hikari slaps Toji, getting his complete attention. "She was on the floor in the bathroom crying." She says flatly, "Now, get Kensuke or I'll get Asuka to drag him there."

"...I'm standing right here, you know." Kensuke says, slightly annoyed, coming out from behind Toji.

"Good. You heard everything."

"Me and Shinji are going with Kensuke, Hikari." Toji says firmly, "Just in case she tries something."

Hikari sighs, "Fine. Come with me."

Hikari leads the three stooges (Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji) down to the 2nd floor girls bathroom. Asuka is standing outside with Sarah next to her, leaning her back against the wall, her gaze is downcast. Her hair has been mostly combed back into place but her uniform is still slightly wet from her crying earlier and her eyes still puffy.

"Umm..." Kensuke began, a bit fearful at saying the wrong thing an inciting Asuka's wrath. "I'm sorry I made you-"

"No...I should apologize." Sarah says softly, interrupting him. "You didn't know that talking about...that would remind me of a very painful memory."

"You mean-" Kensuke begins to say, but is interrupted by Shinji.

"-How amazing you were in the battle, Kensuke." Shinji says quickly.

"Hmm, I was amazing, wasn't I." Kensuke remark to himself, completely forgetting about mention Unit 04 again.

"...And I'm sorry for snapping at you like that, Toji." Sarah continues.

"Hmp. You had better-" Toji began but was cut off by Hikari covering his mouth.

"Hey Sarah!" Misato shouts at her from down the hall, the teacher next to her not happy about Misato right next to his ear. "I'm here to pick you up, get your things."

"Okay, Misato!" Asuka shouts back, "I'll help her out with that." Asuka pulls Sarah's arm gently, "Let's go, Sarah."

She nods briefly, her emotions mostly under control now.

* * *

The car drive back was a silent one, not a single word was uttered on the way back to Misato's apartment. As Misato parks in the parking lot of the apartment she looks at Sarah, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sarah sighs, "Not really. You wouldn't understand unless I told you and I'm not really up to that yet. I just need to get used to having this pain in my heart again."

Misato stays silent, her face slightly sad, "I asked Ritsuko to look up anything in your history that is connected to Eva Unit 04." she states calmly, a trace of sadness in her voice. Sarah flinches. "I'm sorry, I had no idea that-"

"Stop! Please don't say anything else..." Sarah cuts her off, her voice thick with emotion.

Misato sighs, "Ritsuko told me the whole story over the phone while I was driving... I nearly lost my focus on driving when I was told about it." Misato states in a gentle voice, "So I do understand, you aren't the only person who has lost someone important. Asuka and Shinji both lost their mothers, I lost Kaji before 3rd Impact. You lost-" she stops herself, knowing that mentioning his name might cause Sarah to burst into tears again.

"...I know, Misato. It's just so hard to bear the loss of him so I tried to suppress the memories, but I failed at that." she smiles sadly, "He was a genius, and could accomplish anything he set his mind to. The only thing about him that was a flaw that I saw in him was the fact he was shy and had problems talking with and understanding others, but he opened up to me."

Misato looked at her calmly, "You must have hated Eva after that happened. So why did you decide to pilot?"

She smiles faintly, "I did hate Eva. I hated Eva so much I actually wanted the Angels to actually wipe us all out but...I remembered something he said to me after I asked him not to pilot. He said to me, 'That's why I have to do this, so I can protect you and this world from the Angels'. So I chose to pilot for his sake, to do what he couldn't and protect this world." she says in a voice filled resolve, but also sadness.

"You are a strong girl, Sarah."

She laughs weakly, "Hardly. If I really was strong, I would have told him my feelings for him before I lost him."

Misato shrugs, "Are you feeling better now?" Sarah nods. "Would it be okay if I told Asuka and Shinji about it so they understand?"

Sarah breathes in deeply, "I think I should be the one who tells them."

Misato frowns, "Will you be up for it?"

Sarah nods, "I'm going to have to stop running away from my past. Patrick wouldn't want me wallowing in self guilt for the rest of my life." Sarah opens the door to Misato's car. "Hey Misato..."

"Hm?"

"I'm hungry. Let's get some lunch."

* * *

A single monolith with 'SEELE 01' stands in the dark meeting room. Suddenly, but not all at once, the remaining SEELE monoliths appear in a circle. There is silence in the room, not even the sound of a single breath.

SEELE 01: You have all read the newly discovered section of the Dead Sea Scroll, correct?

SEELE 02: ...Correct, it was...an enlightening manuscript.

SEELE 04: Where did our benefactor discover it, Keel?

SEELE 01: He did not say.

SEELE 07: Why not? This discovery changes everything we originally knew about the Angels and First Impact.

SEELE 09: ...It also explains what exactly our benefactor is, doesn't it, Keel?

SEELE 01: Correct.

SEELE 06: This is sheer insanity! I do not agree to this funding, now understanding what our benefactor truly is.

SEELE 11: True...However, the funding is well worth associating with this being.

SEELE 12: His goal is also the same as ours. The completion of the Human Instrumentality Project.

SEELE 01: His request for Unit 01 and our completed Eva Series, with him funding the reconstruction, is an acceptable demand for him funding us and our activities.

SEELE 06: ...Very well. However, I still have doubts about this course of action.

SEELE 01: What is the status of the Eva Series' reconstruction?

SEELE 03: Nearly completed. Last time, we barely had enough funding for nine Units. This time, however, we can now construct all twelve, like we originally intended.

SEELE 05: Evangelion Unit 04 will be finished in two weeks, faster then originally predicted. We MUST strike before it arrives.

SEELE 01: How long until our Evas are ready?

SEELE 02: One week.

SEELE 01: Very well. When outnumbered two to one, Ikari and his Evas won't stand a chance.

* * *

A/N: Probably the longest chapter typed so far, over 6,000 words. Anywho, I'll probably fast forward the time next chapter to when SEELE returns! Also, I did look it up, SEELE originally intended to make 12 Units. Scary. Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Read and Review!


	5. SEELE's Return

A/N: Things are picking up, aren't they? You'll notice Sarah is more stable talking about her past now then before, which does happen. Emotions build up until you snap, and then- wait, I'm not teaching psychology here. Back to the main topic here. I'm going to put at least 5,000 words per chapter from now on rather than 3,000. Cool right? Anyways, small talk aside, SEELE is coming soon. Will our Heroes be able to defeat them when they arrive?

Minor Spoiler: I'm planning for 8 Eva Units total to be used by Nerv, two units left until all 8 are in the story, Unit 04 and Unit 07 (Still under construction).

A/A/N: For the battle scene, I'll show how many Evas each side has left.

* * *

Sarah, after some thinking, decided to only tell Asuka. Shinji didn't really need to know and probably wouldn't fully understand because, as Sarah put it to Misato, 'he's a guy and wouldn't understand a woman's feelings.' Misato decided to let Sarah be alone to gather herself so she could tell Asuka about it. Misato had some reservations about it, but it was her choice to do it herself. She, however, went back to doing what she was doing before Asuka called, drinking beer and relaxing, until...

"We're hooooome!" Asuka shouted into the apartment, nearly causing Misato to lose her balance in her chair.

"Can you not shout so loud, Asuka?" Misato complains.

Asuka glances in the kitchen and snorts in disgust, "What the hell? Shouldn't you be with Sarah rather than getting drunk, you sick-"

"HEY! She wanted to be alone, so back off." Misato retorted, "Besides, she'd like to tell you why she broke down like that in school."

"Both of us?" Shinji asks.

"No, just Asuka."

"Ha!" Asuka smirked.

"Don't joke about this, Asuka." Misato states seriously, "You'll probably wish you never heard the reason once she tells you."

"It can't be that bad," Asuka snorts to herself as she enters the room she is sharing with Sarah.

* * *

Sarah calmly recited the incident with Unit 04 and it's pilot to Asuka, though at times her voice got shaky and tears gathered in her eyes, she managed to tell her the entire thing. Asuka, on the other hand, regretted her earlier choice of words. It reminded her of her own mother's suicide and how shaken she was when the 15th Angel forcefully reawakened those terrible memories, so she fully understood what kind of pain Sarah was enduring.

"That's horrible..." Asuka said softly.

Sarah nods, rubbing the tears out of her eyes. "I had a feeling you might understand better than Shinji would. You've been though the same thing but completely remember what happened with your mother."

"Yeah…I went through the same type of thing when the 15th Angel…well, it reawakened those memories." Asuka muttered darkly.

Sarah nods, "You had a better time suppressing those memories because it was longer and the bond wasn't as close."

* * *

Misato is sitting at the kitchen table, chugging down her 5th beer can of the day. She isn't drunk yet, but will be if she keeps drinking. Sarah peeks her head into the kitchen, Misato notices her. She looks at the clock. 11:00 PM. "You should be in bed." Misato says in a tired voice.

Sarah shrugs and sits down, "So should you. I'm not really tired yet."

Misato looks at her calmly, "What's up?"

Sarah takes a deep breath, "How much do you know about Eva Unit 04?" she says in a level voice.

"What do you mean?" Misato asks curiously.

"Like it's abilities and upgrades." Sarah replies.

Misato frowns, "Not much at all. Even Commander Ikari has no clue about it. Why do you ask?"

"...I remember some of the abilities it seemed to do, but it doesn't seem possible." she said, frowning.

Misato looks at her, confused. "Like..."

"Infusing your own Eva's AT Field into your armor and projecting an AT Field from objects not connected to your Eva."

"WHAT? How the hell-" Misato demanded.

"I don't know...that's why I'm asking you how is it possible." Sarah frowns.

"Hmm." Misato thought for a moment, "I'll look into it a bit later, you should head back to bed though."

"Okay. Thank you Misato."

* * *

One week later.

SEELE 01: The time is at hand. Our benefactor will be watching this battle, and he expects results.

SEELE 02: All 12 of the Eva Series Units are fully operational. We shall not fail.

SEELE05: All of them are also equipped with copies of the Lance of Longinous.

SEELE 09: Eva Unit 04 is still not completed, according to our agents. There will be no interference.

SEELE 06: ...Where is our benefactor anyways, Keel?

SEELE 01: He will be observing the battle from a nearby location. He will inform us of the best time to attack.

* * *

It's early Monday morning in Tokyo-3 as the sun rises, light reflecting off the skyscrapers brightly, making the city almost look like it's glowing from a distance. A cloaked figure dressed in black stand on a nearby hilltop. Ironically, or perhaps not, it was the same hill that Unit 05 was pinned down nearby from SEELE's first attack. No trace of any skin is seen, as the figure is wearing black gloves and its hood covering the face with the sun behind it. The only thing that is visible is the figure's eye color, which is a chilling blood red.

"The Lilim are foolish creatures." the voice of a young man resonates from under the hood of the figure, "Their species constantly fights with others of their kind, refusing to even try to understand one another." The man pulls out a cellphone, quickly dials it, and talks into it the moment the other person picks the phone up. "Keel, begin the attack...I want this city burned to ashes and the Geofront in ruins when you are finished."

* * *

"Breakfast is ready." Shinji calls from the kitchen.

"Finally! I'm starving." Asuka complained.

"Hey! Don't start without me!" Sarah's voice comes out from the bathroom. She opens the door, a towel wrapped around her hair to dry it faster. She is dressed in her school uniform already. She looks around, "The drinking queen still sleeping huh?"

Both Shinji and Asuka are silent.

"...She's right behind me, isn't she?" Sarah asks.

"Yes, I am." Misato states flatly with a beer can in her hand.

"Oh, good morning Misato." Sarah says cheerfully.

"Do I need to ground you?" she demanded.

"Oh, come on. I was just kidding. Like you do to Asuka all the time." she replies in a bland voice.

"That isn't funny, Sarah." Misato replies in a flat voice.

"I don't think your teasing Asuka is funny either."

"That's because you have no sense of humor."

"Have you looked in a mirror lately."

"This is kinda fun to watch." Asuka says with an amused expression. "Right, Shinji?"

"Umm, I don't know..." Shinji responds hesitantly.

"Come on! Grow a backbone, would you?"

"Oh great, the newlyweds are fighting again." Misato remarks.

"Would you-" Sarah began but was cut off by the city alarm.

Alarm Message: "All civilians are to report to your nearest shelter. This is not a drill. I repeat, all civilians..."

"We better head to Nerv." Misato responds after the message ends the first time, "We likely have a situation on our hands."

* * *

Misato bursts into the Command Center, everyone else already at their posts. "Where were you?" Ritsuko demanded Misato.

"Sorry. I had to talk with the pilots briefly. What's the situation?"

"We are detecting the presence of Evas with S2 Engines approaching." Hyuga responds.

"How many?" Misato demands.

"...There's twelve of them!" Maya shouts.

"What? Put them onscreen." Misato orders. When they appear onscreen, everyone in the room except Commander Ikari flinches. There are twelve Eva Series Units in a 'V' shaped formation heading straight for them! "...The Eva Series." Misato says in a flat voice.

"...This is bad, Ikari." Fuyutsuki whispers to Gendo, "We are outnumbered 2 to 1 in this situation, and some of our pilots aren't skilled enough to fight them."

"Perhaps." Gendo responds calmly.

"Commander, we are receiving a transmission through the Eva Series from an unknown location." Maya says.

"Put it through." Gendo orders.

Keel's face appears on the main display, "Surrender, Ikari. You can't win this time."

"That is your opinion on the situation, Keel." Gendo responds flatly, "Last time, Eva Unit 02 alone heavily damaged the Eva Series. This time, you face six Eva Units. Do you actually believe you can win?"

"Your arrogance is amusing, Ikari. I already know half of your Pilots aren't even worth our time. Only the First, Second, and Third Child are a threat to the Eva Series."

"You underestimate them, Keel." Gendo states calmly, "And you will pay for it." He looks at Misato, "Major Katsuragi, launch all Eva Units in a 6 point star formation around the city to intercept the Eva Series."

"Very well, Ikari." Keel responds flatly, "I'll wipe out your Eva Units first before I kill you." He cuts the communications.

Everyone is stunned momentarily at the confrontation just seen. "Major Katsuragi, I gave you an order."

"R-Right. Launch all Eva Units in a 6 point star formation." Misato orders.

* * *

"So, what's going on Misato?" Kensuke asks her curiously as the Evas are going up the launch bays.

"SEELE sent more Evas to attack us." Misato replies.

"Ha! What pile of scrap did they send this time?" Asuka asks, her voice taunting.

"They sent 12 Eva Series Units." Misato replied flatly. Asuka flinches violently. "Everyone will have to work together. Last time, the Eva Series wasn't made primarily for combat, just the Human Instrumentality Project. This time, I doubt SEELE pulled any stops concerning their combat abilities." Misato looks at all of them, "All of you make sure you do you best out there and support one another, and be careful of those Lance of Longinous they have. Those things can penetrate any AT Fields. Good luck."

* * *

All six Evas reach the surface at the same time and quickly grab a weapon from their nearest weapon cache. Unit 00 went with a positron sniper rifle. Unit 01 chooses a Prog Sword. Unit 02 selects a heavy railgun, Eva sized, and a Prog Heavy Sword. Unit 03 picks out a rocket launcher and a Prog Axe, Unit 05 acquires a machine gun and positron rifle, and finally Unit 06 chooses a Prog Spear.

The 12 Eva Series approach from the East, flying towards Tokyo-3 and towards the midpoint between Asuka and Shinji's position. Asuka aims her heavy railgun at the approaching Evas. "Eat this, scheissekopf!" Asuka roars that the Eva Series as she unleashes a barrage of gunfire on the Evas, damaging three of them. Those three are forced to land and each pull out a Lance of Longinous. Asuka freezes as one prepares to throw one at her.

The Eva about to throw the Lance copy at her is impaled in the face by a thrown spear, courtesy of Unit 06. Asuka shakes off her fear and fires her railgun at the Eva Series Units that landed on the ground, damaging them but missing their S2 Engine. They quickly hide behind nearby hills. Meanwhile, Toji and Kensuke, who were station on the other side of the city, manage to reach the center of the city the moment the remaining nine flying Eva Series do. Kensuke opens a channel to Toji. "See, I told you they can fly."

Toji grunts, "This isn't the time for that, Kensuke." He targets one of them with the heat seeking feature of his rocket launcher and fires after locking on, blowing one Eva Series out of the sky, it landing nearby with it's S2 Engine exposed. Toji switches to his Prog Axe and cuts it in half, taking the Unit offline. "One down."

SEELE: 11 Units Left/NERV: 6 Units Left

"Aww, no fair!" Kensuke complained, "I wanted the first kill!" He notices three of the Evas that are flying overhead pull out weird looking spears. "Toji, look out!"

"Huh?" Toji, looks up, one of the spears being thrown at him. He puts up his AT Field, but it is penetrated and it goes through his right leg. "SHIT!" Toji screams in pain, clutching his leg.

* * *

"Damnit!" Misato swears, "They definitely upgraded the Eva Series. Lower Toji's sync ratio, that should decrease the pain."

"Yes, ma'am" Hyuga replies.

* * *

Toji feels the pain numbing, but it still hurts a lot. Kensuke, in Unit 05, pulls the spear out and helps Toji, in Unit 03, to his feet. "You okay, Toji?" Misato's voice asks on the intercom.

"I've felt better." Toji grunts in reply.

"We've lowered your sync ratio, so you should feel less pain."

"...Yeah, thanks Misato." Toji opens a channel to Unit 05, "Hey, Kensuke."

"Yeah?"

"Let me borrow that spear thing."

"Aww man." Kensuke complains, "I wanted the chance to use it."

"Yeah, well- Oh SHIT" Unit 03 pushes Unit 05 away and jumps back, two Lances where they were just standing. Both of their umbilical cables were severed. "I get dibs on one of those." He picks it up and throws it at one of the circling Evas, going through it's head, causing it to crash land nearby. Meanwhile, Rei has taken an excellent sniping position and is targeting one of the eight Eva Series that is still circling around the middle of the city. She hesitates and changes her target when it is apparently shot down by one of their own Lances. She targets the location where its' S2 Engine should be and fires, striking straight through it and destroying it, causing the Eva to explode. Three Eva Series Units break off from the remaining six still circling the center over the city and head for Rei in Unit 00.

SEELE: 10 Units Left/NERV: 6 Units Left

Back with Units 02 and 06, Unit 01 has also joined them and the Eva Series Unit that Unit 06 impaled with her Prog Spear is also hiding behind the hills, waiting for Asuka to run out of ammo in her heavy railgun. "Tch, fucking cowards can't face me head on." she snarled, continuing to storm the hills they are hiding behind with gunfire.

"I'd hide in this situation too." Sarah mutters to herself.

Suddenly Unit 02's railgun runs out of ammo. "Shiest!" Asuka swears as the three Eva Series Units swarm out from behind the hills and charge the three Units. Unit 02 discards the empty railgun and uses her Heavy Prog Sword, which is double bladed, and chop at her opponent, it deflects her sword cut and attempts to pierce her arm with the Lance. Asuka drops the sword, jumps to the side, dodging the spear and she charges straight at it before it can react. She fires her Needle Gun Launcher that is in her shoulder, piercing the Eva's head. This time, unlike last time, she doesn't let it go at that. She draws her Prog Knife from her other shoulder and begins cutting it apart, first the arms, then its legs, finally it cuts the main body open, takes out its S2 Engine and crushes it.

SEELE: 9 Units Left/NERV: 6 Units Left

* * *

Unit 00 is in a bad predicament at this point. Rei managed to destroy another Unit before it reached her, but the other two threw their Lance of Longinous at her, and was forced to abandon her position. One Lance damaged her positron sniper rifle. The other, by bad luck, pierced it in the back. Rei cries out in pain as her Unit's emergency power supply and umbilical cable are both damaged, knocking her Unit offline.

SEELE: 8 Units Left/NERV: 5 Units Left

* * *

"We lost Eva Unit 00" Hyuga shouted.

"Damn!" Misato swore. "What's Rei's status?"

"She's alive, despite the pain she was in before the Eva went offline."

Misato breathes a sigh of relief.

* * *

Unit 05 fires a storm of gunfire with his machine gun at the three Eva Series Unit encircling him and Toji like vultures, but they evades the bullets. Toji's leg hurts when standing on it, so he has Unit 03 half crouched, targeting another Eva that is flying but before he can fire, Unit 03 is pierced in the back by a thrown Lance copy, Toji screams in pain as his Eva deactivates.

SEELE: 8 Units Left/NERV: 4 Units Left

Kensuke swears angrily and turns around, aiming his machine gun at the Eva shot down by Toji earlier and shoots at it, damaging the area around it's S2 Engine, but not destroying it. He jumps back, losing his machine gun when two Lances are fired from above, hitting his gun and where he just was standing. He pulls out his positron rifle and fires at the circling three Evas before the two the went after Unit 00 come back and throw their lances at Unit 05. Just before the Lances reach him, the Eva's power supply runs out and the Eva deactivates.

SEELE: 8 Units Left/NERV: 3 Units Left

* * *

"We lost Units 03 and 05!" Aoba reports bleakly.

"What about the Pilots?" Misato demands, her face pale.

"They are injured, but it isn't life threatening." Hyuga replies.

* * *

The cloaked figure dressed in black stand on a nearby hilltop, overlooking the city and the battle, completely undetected. "This battle is quite amusing to watch. No matter how it turns out, I'll have to congratulate Keel for his success in upgrading the Eva Series." His head comes up sharply and he looks towards the east, his blood red colored eyes narrow, seeing a plane in the distance but not heading anywhere near Tokyo-3. "Hm, I thought I sensed something but...perhaps I was mistaken." He turns back towards the battle and sips some wine.

* * *

Unit 06 is hard pressed against her opponent, which has forced her to lose ground, drawing her away from Units 01 and 02 and into the city. Sarah blocks a slash made by the Eva Series Unit's Lance. She is pushed back by a spear thrust and ducks past an overhead diagonal slash and charges forward, cutting off the Eva's arms quickly. She then continues slashing at its' midsection until its' S2 Engine is exposed. Sarah reverses her blade and stabs through it, destroying both it and the Eva.

Unit 06 turns around and Sarah notices the five Eva Series Units that Rei, Kensuke, and Toji had to deal with heading for her location. "SHIT!" Sarah shouts, turning her Eva away and attempting to run for it. All five of them aim and throw their Lance copies at Unit 06. Two Lances miss her, one hits her lower right leg, one his her left midsection and the last one pierces her back, hitting the power supply unit. She screams in pain as her Eva goes offline.

SEELE: 7 Units Left/NERV: 2 Units Left

* * *

"We lost Unit 06!" Hyuga shouts.

Misato swears angrily, SEELE was knocking their Evas down one by one, and now only Asuka and Shinji were left.

* * *

Unit 01 parries a spear thrust from his opponent and notices he has been drawn away from Asuka. Unit 01 attempts to slash diagonally into the Eva Series Unit but it swings the Lance and deflects it, leaving Unit 01 open for attack. Unit 01 jumps back before his enemy can do anything, quickly hits a button of the side of a building, opening a weapons cache. He pulls out a machine gun and fires at the Eva Series Unit, but it has jumped into the air and tries to slam down onto Unit 01 with its' Lance. Unit 01 jumps back in time and fires at the Eva Series Unit again, damaging it heavily and causing it to lose his Lance. Shinji picks up his Prog Sword and cuts his opponent in half, its' S2 Engine along with it.

SEELE: 6 Units Left/NERV: 2 Units Left

Asuka looks around but doesn't notice Shinji and Unit 01 nearby. 'That idiot better not have died on me.' she thought to herself. She notices Five Eva Series Units circle around a location in the city nearby her location. "SHIEST!" she swears as they throw their Lances down. Asuka runs to the location, finding Unit 01 pinned to the ground by all five Lances, each pierced into his knees, elbows, or his chest. "SHINJI!" she screams.

* * *

"Unit 01 has deactivated!" Maya said fearfully, her expression horrified at the situation.

"Impossible!" Fuyutsuki's voice shocked, "His S2 Engine give him an infinite power source."

"However," Gendo states coldly, "It seems SEELE made an adjustment to their Lance of Longinous copies. They can deactivate an S2 Engine in an Eva as long as one is pierced into an Eva."

"Asuka's sync went down. It was 79 before, but now it went to 65." Hyuga says to Misato.

Misato sighs, "That's because last time, she was forced to fight the Eva Series alone, and she lost. Now it's happening all over again."

SEELE: 6 Units Left/NERV: 1 Unit Left

* * *

'This can't be happening, this can't be happening.' Asuka told herself firmly. She runs to Eva Unit 01, but is stopped by and Eva Series Unit holding a Lance that comes out from behind a building and charges at her. "OUT OF MY WAY, SCHEISSEKOPF!" She screams at it, deflecting an incoming stab, and cutting upwards diagonally right through the Eva's S2 Engine, destroying it.

SEELE: 5 Units Left/NERV: 1 Unit Left

* * *

"Whoa!" Hyuga looks startled.

"What's wrong?" Misato demanded.

"Asuka's sync just shot up to 85."

* * *

The remaining five Eva Series Units land around Unit 01. Three pick up their Lances and advance on Asuka while the other two leave their Lances in Unit 01 and grab its' arms. They then begin to fly up, attempting to carry Unit 01 away! "SHINJI!" Asuka screams, trying to get past the three Eva Series Units in front of her, but is held back, barely able to defend herself at this point.

* * *

"The Eva Series is attempting to take Unit 01!" Aoba reports.

"SHINJI!" Misato screams in horror.

"No..." Maya says sadly, her head hung down low.

"...Ikari, do you have any idea what to do?" Fuyutsuki asks Gendo silent, his expression worried.

"...No." Gendo admits calmly, "It appears we lose."

"Sir!" Hyuga shouts, getting the immediate attention of everyone in the room, "The Magi are detecting another Eva with an S2 Engine approaching."

"What?" Misato demands, running over to him. "Where is it?"

"One mile east of our location."

"Whose side is it on?" Fuyutsuki demands.

A communication line opens and the face of a woman in her later 30's with blonde hair appears onscreen. "It has been awhile, Commander Ikari."

Gendo nods, "It has, Commander of Nevada Nerv Branch, Samantha Holtner."

She smirks, "I see you have quite the situation here, so I came to deliver a present. Evangelion Unit 04, completely rebuilt, and Pilot included."

Gendo smiles faintly, "Your timing is perfect." he states calmly.

"So I noticed. Anyway, enjoy the Eva." Samantha closes the communication line.

* * *

_"Alright, I'll let you use the Eva L.R. Program if you must." _Samantha replies with resignation.

_"Thank you, Commander." _A soft young man's voice replies calmly.

_"Good luck out there." _she says, the launch bay of the Eva carrier opening. Unit 04 dropping out onto the battlefield. _"Remember to give that disk to Commander Ikari." _The Eva carrier turns around and heads back the way it came.

* * *

Unit 04 looks similar in design to Unit 03, but its upper torso armor and upper back armor is thicker and has indentations in it. It is silver in color, sky blue details/secondary color, and in its hand is a staff with a cross/diamond like tip at the end of it. Unit 04 activates its rear thrusters, charging at the two Eva Series Units carrying Shinji's Eva away. He throws his staff at one of the Eva Units, piercing it in the chest just above where its S2 Engine is, knocking it away from Unit 01 and into the ground.

The other Eva Series Unit cannot hold onto Unit 01 by itself and fly at the same time. It regretfully releases its hold on Eva Unit 01 and flies away. Unit 04 is about to pursue it but notices Unit 01 falling to the ground and grabs it by its right arm uses its rear thrusters to slow both of their descent so they could land safely. It pulls out the Lances still stuck in Unit 01, allowing it to reactivate.

* * *

"Unit 01 has reactivated!" Aoba reports.

"How's Shinji?" Misato asks nervously.

"Injuries are minimum, to both Pilot and Eva."

* * *

SEELE: 5 Units Left/NERV: 3 Units Left

Shinji shakes his head, trying to clear it after his Eva reactivates when a channel opens from Unit 04 to him. The face of a young man with deep blue eyes are unruly black hair in the comm window. "You okay?"

Shinji nods, "Who are you?"

"The Fifth Child-" He corrects himself when Shinji flinches, "The REAL Fifth Child, not the 17th Angel."

"What happened?" Shinji asks, unsure about the status of the other Evas and Pilots.

"You lost all your Evas except-" He notices the Eva Series Unit he pinned to the ground pulling out his staff before throwing it to the side and standing up. "…Lets talk about this later." He closes the channel.

"Okay, lets see how you handle this Eva Series." The young man says calmly. He types into a keypad near his controls a 5 digit code. _"Evangelion Limiter Release Program, Activate."_

* * *

"Sir!" Maya looks startled, "The Pilot of Unit 04's sync was in his mid 70s but now it's reading 100!"

"What?" Ritsuko looks stunned.

* * *

Unit 04's is surrounded by a golden aura as its AT Field infuses with its armor, shifting the color of the silver plates to a golden color. The Eva Series Unit attempts to slam his own Eva's staff into Unit 04, but he ducks and sidesteps the attack easily. Unit 04 uppercuts the Eva Series Unit and rips his staff out of the Eva's hands before slamming the staff into its side, launching it away into a nearby hillside before Unit 04 flies over to it and punches it right through the armor and into its S2 Engine.

SEELE: 4 Units Left/NERV: 3 Units Left

Patrick notices the other Eva flying away. _"You aren't getting away!" _He shouts, activating his Eva's thrusters and flying over the ground after him, picking up a Lance copy as he pursues it. He stabs his staff into the ground, flipping into the air as his thrusters deactivate before skidding to a stop. He aims the Lance copy right at the fleeing Eva Unit before throwing it at him, piercing its S2 Engines and causing it to explode.

SEELE: 3 Units Left/NERV: 3 Units Left

The young man clutches his chest and drops to one knee, "Damn…It is more exhausting than I thought."

Unit 01 dashes back towards Unit 02, who is stabbed in both arms and pinned to the ground. The third Eva Series Unit raises its Lance, preparing to stab through the Eva and into the entry plug. "NO!" Shinji roars, knowing he'll never make it in time. "I WON'T LET HER DIE!"

* * *

"Shinji's sync ratio just went to 300!" Maya says in horror.

"What?" Ritsuko looks stunned.

* * *

The Eva about to pierce Unit 02's chest is blasted back one mile and into a hillside, exploding. Asuka looks up at her savior. It was Unit 01. Out of it's back are two orange, diamond-shaped wings. Unit 01 turns to the remaining two Evas, both of them pulling the Lances out of Unit 02 and jumping back. Eva Unit 01 roars loudly, glaring at the two Eva Series Units.

One of them attempts to slash Unit 01 with the Lance, but Shinji catches it and stabs it back into its owners chest, pinning it to the ground. The other Eva Series Unit charges at Unit 01 while Unit 01 picks up Unit 02's sword. The Eva stabs forward with the Lance, but Unit 01 sidesteps and, at high speeds, cuts the Lance in half, then swings around and cuts through the Eva's S2 Engine, destroying it. Unit 01 turns around to the one it pinned down earlier, that Eva Series Unit attempting to get to its feet, and stabs Asuka's Heavy Prog Sword straight in its S2 Engine, destroying it. Unit 01 roars one last time and then goes offline.

SEELE: 0 Units Left/NERV: 2 Units Left. Victory: NERV.

* * *

"What's the status of Unit 01's pilot?" Ritsuko demanded.

"He's okay, he just fell unconscious." Maya replies, relief in her voice.

Everyone in the control room cheers, they won.

"I told him he would underestimate us." Gendo states calmly to Fuyutsuki.

"Did you know Unit 01's pilot would be able to do that?" Fuyutsuki looks stunned.

"I did not. However, I had faith in him either way." Gendo stands up, "If you'll excuse me, Professor Fuyutsuki, I'll be in my office." Gendo leaves the control room, smiling faintly, while Fuyutsuki's expression is baffled.

* * *

Shinji wakes up in a hospital bed, Asuka sitting next to the bed in a chair, staring at Shinji. "You idiot, were you trying to get yourself killed?" she demanded.

"Sorry, I-" Shinji began.

"You don't need to apologize." Asuka looks nervous and turns away from him, "Thank you for saving me out there..." she says softly.

Shinji blinks, "Oh.. ummm, thanks Asuka."

Asuka kisses his cheek, they both blush. "Don't get the wrong idea, Third Child. That was just my thanks for saving me."

"Aw, isn't that cute." Misato states blandly, standing in the doorway, "You two look like the perfect married couple."

Asuka and Shinji both blush redder, "SHUTUP!" they both say in unison.

* * *

Sarah slowly wakes up in another hospital room, her injuries more serious than Kensuke and Toji because of her higher sync. She notices a young man next to her bed and freezes. _"Impossible..." _she muttered to herself in English, tears in her eyes.

_"How come?" _The young man with deep blue eyes and short, unruly black hair asks in English with his soft voice.

_"Because you-" _Sarah started to say but was cut off by getting kissed on the forehead by the young man.

_"Does that prove I'm real?" _He asks calmly.

Sarah begins to laugh, tears streaming down her face and she sits up and hugs the young man. _"You idiot. I've missed you so much...how are you alive?"_

_"Blame, or thank, Third Impact. It restored the Entire Nevada Nerv Branch and the people in it." _he pauses, _"I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner but-"_

_"I don't care right now. I'm just happy you are back and by my side again…Patrick."_ Sarah says softly, tears running down her face as she hugs him tighter.

* * *

A/N: This is my best chapter made so far. I swear as soon as I started writing the battle scene, I couldn't stop. It was so exciting writing it, definitely beats reading a story any day of the week. Anyways, I'm mentally exhausted, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Read and Review!


	6. The New Threat

A/N: I feel that last chapter was a success. It also seems these errors started after starting to use Spell Check... Annoying is one if the words I can use to describe it. Others are more colorful but I'd prefer avoiding those if possible. Anyways...SEELE's benefactor's identity will be revealed, who could it be?

A/A/N: I lost inspiration briefly and then rewatched Evangelion and reread the Manga. Sorry it took so long. Another problem was the words I had to re-type because I lost them when I had to re-login. Whatever, enjoy.

Minor Spoiler: I plan for a total of 50 Chapters.

* * *

SEELE 01: We have failed…

SEELE 05: They were stronger than predicted.

SEELE 03: The tide of the battle turned when Unit 04 arrived and reactivated Unit 01.

SEELE 09: Unit 04's appearance was not expected. It should have taken at least another week before it was fully operational.

SEELE 02: Our spies will pay for their idiocy.

SEELE 06: …How did out benefactor take our failure, Keel?

SEELE 01: He has not contacted me yet.

A light appears in the center of the room. A figure dressed in black and wearing a hood appears in the center of this light. "My Master wishes to praise your efforts in fighting Nerv's Evas." A young woman's voice resonates from under the figures hood. "He is pleased, despite your failure, at your attempt to acquire Unit 01."

SEELE 01: …I did not expect you to contact us, Morlina.

The figure smiles faintly, her mouth and glowing blood red eyes only visible from under her cloak. "My Master is occupied with other things at the moment, so he sent me to deliver that message." she frowns slightly, "He was not amused, however, at your inability to foresee Unit 04's appearance."

SEELE 02: …Nor were we. Our spies will pay the price for their failure.

"Much better." she straightens herself, "He plans to send a messenger to Nerv. They will be given two choices, surrender or die." She vanishes.

SEELE 06: ...Who was that woman, Keel?

SEELE 01: One of out benefactor's servants. I did not expect our benefactor to interfere directly so soon, however. He prefers keeping a low profile.

SEELE 11: What is our next move?

SEELE 01: We shall observe for now.

* * *

Ritsuko Akagi looked over the data of the Eva Units with annoyance. Unit 00 wasn't heavily damaged, but it's emergency power source unit and umbilical cable attachment point were both completely destroyed. Unit 02 had both arm joints shattered and those would need to be replaced. Unit 03 had minimal damage to its right leg and could easily be repaired in a day or two, but it's emergency power source unit would need to be replaced. Unit 05 had a severed spine, but thankfully Kensuke ran out of power before he felt that pain. Unit 06 was in bad shape, it lost its' muscle tissue in the lower right leg, its entire left midsection would have to repaired, and Unit 06's emergency power system was nearly damaged.

Unit 01 was, surprisingly, in good condition. The joints and damage done under its armor was restored, possibly due to Shinji's high sync, all that needed replacement were armor sections. She remembered the 14th Angel and how Shinji's Eva regenerated its entire left arm, so her theory was plausible. The main problem, however, was how it created those wings. The Magi said with a 97.8% chance that it was created from Unit 01's own AT Field and when the Pilot's sync reached 300. She asked Shinji if he remembered anything during the time he had that high sync ratio, and was crestfallen when he didn't. So much for finding out what the hell caused that.

Ritsuko glances at Unit 04's data that was recorded during the fight. Normally she wouldn't worry about it, considering she now had 5 damaged Evas to deal with, but its Pilot's ability to go from 72 sync to 100 was definitely something that got her attention. She examined the Entry Plug briefly but didn't notice anything too strange except maybe the fact the seat could be moved back five or six inches and that the Entry Plug was bigger than most. When the pilot left the Eva, he seemed to be physically exhausted, but strangely, it seemed different then a strained body from a high sync ratio like Shinji was. The armor was another issue for her. It seemed to absorb the Eva's AT Field to greatly increase the Unit's speed, stamina, power, and accuracy. How the hell it could do that baffled her and she wished she could investigate, but repairing the other Evas came first. She also remember his strange behavior just after the Eva Series was defeated.

* * *

**Flashback**

Unit 04's golden color fades and his sync ratio returns to 72. "Okay, you two. You'd best bring in the other Evas into the Geofront." Ritsuko orders.

Shinji and Patrick both nod. Unit 04 retrieves the staff it came with and starts walking towards Unit 06. After it passes by the hill the cloaked figure was secretly hiding on it sharply turns around, glaring at the now empty hilltop.

"What's wrong?" Ritsuko demanded, the Pilot of Unit 04's eyes are narrowed.

"...Nothing. I just thought I saw something for a second." he responds in a calm voice, frowning slightly.

* * *

**Present Time**

Ritsuko sighs, 'Maybe it was a side effect of his high sync.' She smiles faintly, remembering she was going to call Misato and inform her where he would be staying, her apartment. She picks up the phone and dials Misato's cell phone number, getting a response after two rings. "Hello, who is this?" Misato's voice sounded cheerful.

"Hello, Misato. It's me." Ritsuko replies.

"Ah, hi Rits. What's up?"

"You seem to be happy, Misato. What happened this time?" Ritsuko asks.

"Oh, nothing happened. I'm just happy we won despite the odds is all."

"Well, we've selected the place where the pilot of Unit 04 will be staying." she replies blandly.

"Well, that great- Wait...oh no. You are NOT dumping ANOTHER pilot in my place!" Misato said angrily.

"Hey, where else could I put him?"

"The BASE maybe." Misato grumbled, "It's bad enough you've dumped ONE extra pilot in my home, don't you DARE send another."

"These are Commander Ikari's orders. You can argue with him about it if you want." she replies calmly.

Ritsuko hears Misato muttering swear words on the other end of the phone line. "Fine, but I want a raise for this."

"You'll be given one. After all, you have another mouth to feed in the house now, right?"

Misato sighs, "Alright, I'll stick him in Shinji's room I guess."

"See? You do have room. Anyways, I'd better get back to work. Seeya Misato." Ritsuko hangs up.

* * *

Toji and Kensuke were released from the hospital later that day. Rei was released the next day but, Asuka and Sarah weren't released until three days after SEELE attacked because of their injuries received while in the Eva at a higher sync ratio. Shinji was released the same day as them but had few injuries, Ritsuko wanted to examine him because of his high sync ratio while piloting Eva.

Sarah was definitely happy that Patrick was moving into the apartment, Shinji was too, but to a lesser degree. Asuka, on the other hand, was not amused.

"What the hell, Misato." Asuka growls, "We already have an extra guest in the apartment, why are you adding ANOTHER? Why not invite the rest of Nerv BASE to stay there while you're at it?"

"This wasn't my idea, Asuka." Misato says in a flat voice, "These are Commander Ikari's orders and if you want to argue with him about it, go ahead. However, I sort of LIKE my job right now, so I don't plan to lose it."

Asuka glares at Misato and storms off down the hospital corridor. Misato sighs, "I really hope we don't get anymore guests after this. I don't have any more room."

"So...I'm sleeping in Shinji's room?" Patrick asks in a soft voice, his face flushed from Sarah clinging onto his arm. Sarah seemed to not want to let go of him anytime soon.

"Yup." Misato replies, "This time, we actually have a spare bed this time. I got two a few days ago, one for Sarah and another in case Ritsuko decided to dump ANOTHER pilot into my apartment."

"OR..." Sarah smiles impishly, "You can stick Shinji and Asuka in the same room and let me and Patrick share a room."

"S-Sarah!" Patrick protests, blushing.

"You are NOT sticking me in a room with Shinji." Asuka states flatly, flushing slightly. Shinji just stays silent, his face red.

"Okay, we aren't doing that, Sarah." Misato states in a firm voice. "You are still sleeping in the same room as Asuka, and Shinji will be sharing his room with the new pilot. There is no way in hell I'm letting a boy and girl sleep in the same room together, especially considering your ages. Nerv doesn't need MORE problems than it already has."

"Aww, you're no fun." Sarah pouted.

"Life is like that, Sarah." Misato states flatly, "Deal with it." She smiles impishly, "Oh, I get it now. You just wanted to be alone with your boyfriend tonight to show him all sorts of things I bet." Misato teases Sarah.

"HEY!" Sarah retorts, both her and Patrick blushing, "I don't interrogate you about your messed up love life with Kaji!"

"What did you-" Misato begins to retort, but is cut off by the city alarm. "Oh come on...There is no way SEELE could have recovered THAT quickly." Misato grumbles as she dials her cellphone to call Ritsuko. She begins talking the moment Ritsuko picks up. "Hey, is this just a false alarm or something, Rits?"

Ritsuko's voice is bleak, "I'm afraid not, Major. Get the pilots down here right now."

Misato quickly picked up the seriousness in Ritsuko's voice, "What is happening?" she demanded.

"It seems SEELE isn't the only threat we have to deal with." she states flatly, "Now get the Children down here immediately.

"Okay, Ritsuko." Misato hangs up and faces the kids. "We have a situation it seems, lets go."

Everyone caught the tone of Misato's voice immediately, so they chose not to argue with her as they left the apartment and headed back to Nerv.

* * *

Misato enters the control room with Shinji, Asuka, Sarah, and Patrick following her. Everyone is already in their battle stations, Toji, Kensuke and Rei all stand in the control room next to Doctor Akagi, observing a strangely humanoid creature with plates and scales covering it's body in a similar fashion as armor approaching the city on a monitor. It's skin is blood red and it's armor is jet black. It as two curved horns on it's head, as well as a tail, claws, and two large wings. The most prominent feature is its chilling blood red eyes, and the fact it was slightly taller than an Eva. Misato stops the moment she sees it on screen. "What the hell IS that thing?" she demands Ritsuko.

"We don't know yet, Major Katsuragi." she replies in a tense voice.

"We have confirmed the presence of an S2 Core and an AT Field." Maya reports.

"What type?" Ritsuko asks, "Is it Orange?"

"No, it's...Crimson?" Maya looks baffled.

"Let me see that." Doctor Akagi looks at the data, her eyes widening. "It's waveform pattern really is Crimson...and its DNA matches 25% of the Angels."

"...What does that mean, Ritsuko?" Misato demanded, "It's the second coming of the Angels or something?"

"Incorrect." Commander Ikari states in a firm voice, "The Angels are no more. The last Angel was terminated before Third Impact. Whatever this creature is, it is no Angel."

"Then what is it?" Misato asks.

"The Magi haven't made any conclusive results yet." Hyuga reports.

"It definitely isn't friendly, though." Aoba reports, "The three helicopters that went to examine the creature were shot down by that thing."

"What is the status of our Evas?" Commander Ikari asks Ritsuko.

"Units 01 and 04 are operational. The other Units can't be used until more repairs are done." Ritsuko reports.

"...Very well. Pilots of Units 01 and 04, prepare for battle." Gendo orders, "You will intercept the target and destroy it."

"Right." Patrick replies, while Shinji just nods. They both leave the control room to suit up into their Plug Suits.

* * *

"Hey Shinji?" Patrick asks on the other side of the lockers, putting his plug suit on.

"Yes?"

"You don't seem like a person who likes to fight." Patrick states calmly, "So why did you decide to pilot Eva?"

"I guess I chose to pilot to protect others." Shinji responds after a few seconds. "What about you, Patrick?"

He frowns, "It's hard to explain. I suppose the reason at first was because I just FELT I had to the moment I saw it. I felt happy when I saw it, the kind of happiness I felt when my mother watched over me." Patrick explains, "Later, I decided I wanted to protect the person most important to me."

"Who is it?" Shinji asks curiously.

"Sarah. She was the first friend I ever made and she taught me how to open up to other people." Patrick smiles fondly, "She is also the one I love the most in the world." He shakes his head slightly. "Anyways, we'd better get to our Evas."

"Right." Shinji replies softly.

* * *

Units 01 and 04 are launched to the outskirts of the city. Misato opens communications as soon as they surface. "Okay, you two." Misato begins, "Those claws seem to be its primary weapon. Its S2 Core is in the center of its chest, under that armor plate. Remember, it can project an AT Field so you'll have to neutralize it to damage it directly. Good luck."

"Misato, where is the staff I came with?" Patrick asks softly, a frown on his face.

"It's in storage, why?" Misato asks curiously.

"Never mind." Patrick sighs, "Next time I fight, send it up with me please. It's the weapon I'm best with."

"Okay, Patrick." Misato says, "Oh, I almost forgot. Commander Ikari decided to classify it as a Crimson Angel. Weird name considering his adamant belief it isn't an Angel, but that's what he's going to call it until we find out what the hell it is."

Unit 01 grabs a Prog Sword and light pistol from the weapons cache while Unit 04, with reluctance, takes a Prog Spear and Positron Rifle. They walk towards the target, which has stopped half a mile outside the city, waiting for them. Units 01 and 04 stop 100 meters from the target. A minute drags on, and another.

"Umm Misato." Shinji says hesitantly over the comm. "It isn't moving or anything."

"Foolish creatures." A chilling, demonic voice growls.

Some of the personnel in Nerv shudder at the voice, but Gendo was unfazed. "Who are you?" he asks in a monotone voice.

"I guess you Lilim are as blind as you are stupid." the voice continues, "I stand in front of you as a messenger from my Master." The creature in front of the Evas has his mouth moving in sync with the voice.

"Are you with SEELE?" he asks calmly.

The voice chuckles, "Hardly. Those old men are not even worth the funding my Master is giving them."

"Then who is your master, demon?" Gendo responds in a flat voice.

"Demon." The beast chuckles, "That is completely accurate, Ikari. I've heard about you from my Master, but you are even more interesting than I was told. However, I am not here to compliment your evil actions but to give you a message from my Master."

Gendo glares at the beast, "Speak."

"My Master's message is simple for your convenience, Lilim." the demon responds mockingly. "Turn over Evangelion Unit 01 to my Master. Refuse and the city of Tokyo-3, the Geofront, and Nerv HQ will be burnt to ashes. All life will be sacrificed to Him as a tribute to His glory."

"...Pilots, destroy the target." Gendo orders.

The demon roars in rage. "Very well. You will all be burnt to ashes!" It charges at Unit 01, slashing at him. Unit 01 parries the slash and tries to counter attack but is blocked by its other set of claws. Unit 04 spears it in the chest, but can't breach its armor. It uses its free claw to slash at Unit 04, cutting through the spear. Unit 04 jumps back and fires his rifle, the demon jumps back, evading the attack. Unit 01 fires its light pistol at it, but the enemy raises his AT Field and blocks the bullets. Unit 04 charges at him from the side and neutralizes the AT Field, allowing three bullets to hit the creature in the chest. Needless to say, it did NOT like getting shot very much and slashed at Unit 04, cutting through all its chest armor layers, barely missing his S2 Engine.

* * *

"Unit 04 has received heavy damage to its chest armor." Maya reports.

"Pilot sync ratio has dropped to 64!" Hyuga shouts.

Sarah stays silent as she watches the fight, her expression scared.

"Hey Shinji, kick ass out there!" Toji shouts.

"Yeah!" Kensuke shouts too.

"Hmp." Asuka snorts. "Don't you dare lose to that thing, baka."

* * *

Unit 01 throws the empty pistol at the demon, distracting it enough to turn his attention away from tearing Unit 04 apart. He draws his Prog Knife from his shoulder compartment and with his Prog Sword manages to block both of its claws and prevents it from moving without the creature leaving himself open to attack. Unit 04 struggles to get up, picks up his Positron Gun and presses it right on the demon's left side. "Die." Unit 04 fires point blank through the creature's entire midsection. Unfortunately, it barely misses the core and the demon jumps back, roaring in pain as his wounds quickly regenerate.

"...Damn, he can regenerate?" Patrick demanded. Shinji looks confused so he explains, "It's high speed healing. In other words, killing this thing got tougher."

Unit 04 punches it in the side where it is still healing, causing it to scream in pain and stab Unit 04 in the left shoulder with his claws. Unit 04's AT Field activates and he grabs the demon's arm, preventing him from removing the claw. Unit 01 suddenly charges and slashes down with his Prog. Knife, the enemy panics and desperately blocks with his right claw, unable to move his left. Unit 01 stabs his Prog. Sword that he is holding in his other hand straight through the central armor plate and straight into its S2 Core. It roars in pain which slowly fades in volume, becoming silent as Unit 01 removes his sword.

Suddenly, the demon's body begins smoldering then catches on fire, the flames burning his body down to ashes. Unit 04 clutches his left shoulder in pain, "Nice one, Shinji." Patrick compliments.

"Oh, umm, thanks for helping." Shinji responds, still not used to being praised.

"Not a problem." Patrick winces, putting the creature's claw out of his left shoulder. "I think we should get back. My shoulder and chest feel pretty bad."

* * *

A figure cloaked in a black robe overlooks the Evas returning to the Geofront. "It seems that Seiran has failed." A young man's voice noted. "However, it was expected, as he was the weakest. Though I had hoped he would have done better."

Another figure appears next to him, also cloaked in black. "I've informed SEELE that you have begun to take actions, my Lord." A young woman's voice echoes from under the cloak's hood.

"I see. Thank you for informing them, so how did they take it?"

She smiles faintly, "They were nervous about their failure. However, I believe they will merely observe our attempts for now." She looks around, frowning at the now half burned body of the demonic like creature. "Who did you send?"

"Seiran." he voice slightly irritated, "I expected him to do better. At the very least, dispose of Unit 04 and its pilot."

"He was the weakest, and we are better off with him dead." She looks at him curiously, "Why eliminate Unit 04 though, my Lord?"

"He detected my presence when I was watching the battle with the Eva Series." He states calmly.

"What?" her voice is startled. "How did he detect you? Aren't you usually more subtle?"

He nods, "I might have let my guard down for a brief instant but it won't happen again." he straightens, "Call the others to the meeting room, Morlina. We must discuss which of our brethren to awaken next."

* * *

"Are you TRYING to get yourself killed out there?" Sarah screams at Patrick the moment he enters the recovery ward where Ritsuko plans to do a checkup on the pilots after their battle.

Patrick sighs, "I was perfectly safe out there, Sarah. Stop exaggerating this out of proportion." Patrick responds, slightly annoyed.

"Exaggerating? You nearly lost your S2 Engine, which could have KILLED you!" she shouts at him. "How were you perfectly safe out there?"

"Okay, enough." Ritsuko looks annoyed. "If you two want to have a lovers quarrel, do so after my checkup."

Both Sarah and Patrick blush, but Misato just chuckles. "Good one, Ritsuko. Mind if I use that to tease Shinji and Asuka later?"

"Don't you dare, Misato." Asuka growls from the doorway with Shinji right behind her, both of their faces slightly red. Toji and Kensuke are also nearby, but they have various injuries from teasing Asuka earlier. "Or you might end up like these two who decided to annoy me." Asuka points to Kensuke and Toji.

"It was an unwarranted attack." Kensuke complained.

"Uh huh." Asuka retorts sarcastically, "You thought that saying, 'Take out your anger and aggression out in a bedroom', wasn't worth retaliation."

"He didn't mean it like that." Toji growls, "He just meant that you should go back home and scream at a wall, rather than at Shinji."

"Oh?" Misato looks amused, "I think Asuka thought they meant her and Shinji should have a make out session." she giggles.

"THAT ISN'T FUNNY, MISATO!" Asuka screams at her, blushing furiously. Shinji's face is red, Asuka turns quickly and glares at him. "Don't you DARE even think about it, baka!"

"Enough!" Ritsuko looks angry, "Everyone but Shinji and Patrick, get out. I need to do a checkup on them."

"You heard her, ladies." Misato says blandly, "You don't need to be watching Ritsuko checking your boyfriends out."

"That goes for you too, Misato." Ritsuko states flatly.

"Yeah, you already have Kaji, you pedophile." Asuka mutters loud enough to be heard.

Misato snarls at Asuka. "Why can't they just grow up?" Sarah asks herself in English. Patrick chuckles softly at her comment. Misato and Asuka stalk out of the room. Toji and Kensuke, who were outside, wisely chose to flee quickly to avoid the coming screaming fight between Misato and Asuka. "See you later, Patrick." Sarah winks at him and leaves the room.

Ritsuko sighs, wondering why her recovery ward became a debate hall. She shakes her head and turns to both of them. "Okay, I'll examine you first, Shinji."

Shinji, surprisingly enough, had no injuries. Patrick, however, as not as lucky. His chest had minor burns in the shape of claw marks from the demon's attack but they would heal in a day or two. His left shoulder had torn one rotator cuff tendon and would take a whole week to heal it. Ritsuko gave Misato a prescription for the pain, but it would still feel sore and his arm would have to be in a cast so he doesn't move his shoulder accidentally. He was happy, however, that he did not need to witness the fight between Misato and Asuka.

* * *

Everyone managed to get back to the apartment safely just as the sun sets in the west. As Misato, Shinji, and Asuka start walking towards Misato's apartment room after they all leave the elevator, Sarah pulls on Patrick's right hand, causing him to stop and turn around, facing her. "Misato, I need to talk with Patrick real quick. Go on without us."

Misato looks at her curiously then shrugs, "Okay, Sarah." She walks off, with Asuka and Shinji following behind her.

Sarah waits until they are out of earshot and speaks to Patrick in English. "Why did you hold back in your fight? I know that you could have done better."

"You noticed. However, I can't fight like I did against the Eva Series unless I have no other choice...Besides..." he frowns, his expression thoughtful.

"Besides what?" Sarah demanded.

"...It's nothing." Patrick says softly. 'Except the feeling I had of being watched...'

Sarah smiles at him and says to him in a soft voice. "You have no idea how much I've missed you...and how long I've wanted to do this." She pulls his head towards hers, wraps her arms around him, and kisses him full on the lips. He looks surprised at first, but slowly wraps his right arm around her and deepens the kiss until he suddenly steps away. Sarah looks afraid, "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me and-"

She is cut off when he kisses her lightly on the lips. "I feel the same way but...you were hugging me so tightly that it was hurting my shoulder." he says softly, blushing.

"Oh...umm...sorry." Sarah blushes. "Does that...mean that..."

"Hey lovebirds!" Misato calls from the doorway of the apartment. "Quit making out and get inside already."

"We weren't making out!" Sarah shouts at her.

"Oh really?" Misato smirks, "I saw you two kissing each other down there. I bet you wanted to tear your clothes off and-"

"PERVERT!" Sarah screams at her, blushing furiously.

Misato chuckles and goes inside, leaving two very embarrassed pilots standing outside. "Err, we should go inside." Patrick says softly, his face still red.

"Oh, right." Sarah agrees, still blushing. 'Oh great. Now Misato is going to tease us just like she teases Asuka and Shinji.'

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know I'm cutting it a bit short but blame the fact it took a lot of effort to come this far. Anyways, see you next chapter.

Read and Review!


	7. The New Invention

A/N: Well, I originally planned to wait on those two going together, but then, they didn't SAY exactly how they felt about each other so... Anyways, expect more teasing from Misato, how many of those 'demons' there are, and a new invention at Nerv. Enjoy!

A/A/N: Remember, italics means its in English.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

One table with five chair surrounding it and a large doorway stand in the darkness. The table has ancient inscriptions on it and an upside down star drawn in the center of it. The five chairs resembles thrones more than chairs. Each having armrests and blood red cushions on them. The Doorway has a total of seventeen crimson colored spheres on it. Five of them are in the middle of the doorway, each at a point of an upside down star in the center. The remaining twelve are 5 inches from the star, forming a circle around it. One of the orbs in the circle is no longer glowing, however. Five figures walk out of that absolute darkness surrounding the table and sit in the chairs.

"It is good you have come here." the young man's voice resonates from one of the figures. "We must discuss our next plan of action."

"Of course, my Lord." the one sitting next to him says in an old, dry voice. "Seiran was a failure, and he got what he deserved. What else is there to discuss?"

"Except," A firm, older man's voice says, sitting next to the old man. "We need to select another to go out and retrieve Unit 01."

"I was being sarcastic, Chivalt." the old voice says scathingly, "Of course we must send another. Or send SEELE again. Perhaps they won't screw it up to hell again."

Chivalt glares at the old man, "I don't like being talk down to, old man." he states in a firm, flat voice. "Try it again, Darvin, and see what happens." He brushes his cloak aside revealing his sword hilt and black armor.

The old man chuckles, "The last time we fought, Chivalt, you lost to me. Are you certain you want to get your ass kicked again?" he asks mockingly.

Chivalt grabs his sword hilt as the old man pulls out a staff from under his cloak. Both of their weapons fly out of their hands and land on the table in front of the figure left of the young man. "Enough." the voice of a young woman resonates from under the hood, holding a staff with an orb of purplish black energy swirling at the tip. "You two need to grow up already." A young boy's voice is laughing next to her. She looks at him, angry. "What do you think is so funny, Shalock?"

"Well." the young boy says, covering his mouth to suppress his laugher. "They are both a lot older than me but they need to grow up, and I don't. I thought it was hilarious, Morlina."

She shakes her head, sighing. She raises her staff and Darvin's and Chivalt's weapons are returned to them.

"Are we all done with the idle chatter?" The young man demanded as they put their weapons away.

"Yes, my Lord." all four of them say calmly.

"Better." he taps his fingers on the table, "Right now, those old men are likely amused at our failure. So why don't we wait a while before we awaken another of our brethren?" He sees no objection from the other four and continues. "Our Master has provided us with twelve reawakening shards, and we obviously wasted one on Seiran. Therefore, we shall awaken Raimar in three weeks."

"Raimar, the Lightning Serpent?" Chivalt's voice is baffled. "Why send one who cannot even reach Nerv into battle?"

"Clever idea." Darvin notes, "You plan to draw them out into a trap, my Lord. Evas aren't meant for combat in water."

"Correct, Darvin." he replies calmly. "The only Evas that can fight underwater are Units 02 and 06."

"However." Morlina's voice notes, "We cannot underestimate Unit 01's potential." She presses a button on the side of the table and a 3-D visual of Unit 01 while having 300 sync is shown. "As you can see," she states calmly. "Shinji Ikari, Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, reached 300 sync and it greatly increased the Unit's speed, power, and accuracy. As well as create two diamond shaped wing on its back, apparently made from its AT Field. With this kind of power, Unit 01 could also fight underwater if necessary."

"The boy is emotionally unstable." Chivalt states flatly, "He has no idea how to even control his Eva properly."

"He has slain the most Angels, fool." Darvin notes, "For someone who can't control Eva properly, that seems like a miracle."

"Alright. Are we agreed on waiting three weeks?" the young man asks, heading off another potential fight. He hears no objections. "Very well, you are all dismissed." He stands up and vanishes. The remaining four also stand up and walk back into the darkness.

* * *

Sarah's predictions about Misato were right on the mark. She teased her and Patrick unmercilessly during dinner. At first, Shinji and Asuka were glad it wasn't them that she wasn't going after, but Asuka got annoyed when Misato started using more obscene jokes. As she watched, she noticed Patrick's and Sarah's reactions to Misato teasing were similar to her own and Shinji's. "Okay, enough Misato." Asuka states in a flat voice after a comment that even made her blush from just listening to it. "Get your mind out of the gutter and leave them alone."

"Would you prefer I tease you instead, Asuka?" Misato asks, faintly amused.

"I'd 'prefer' if you'd shutup already and stop embarrassing my friend." she states flatly.

"You're no fun. Why not-" Misato begins but is cut off my Sarah.

"You have a sick, perverted mind." her face is flaming from Misato's teasing, "No wonder Kaji left you."

'Ouch' Asuka notes to herself.

"EXCUSE ME?" Misato glares at Sarah, "He did NOT leave because of my 'sick, perverted mind.'"

"So you admit it?" Sarah shot back.

"Sorry, but can't we just finish eating without arguing?" Shinji asks quietly.

Sarah and Misato snort and go back to eating. "...Sarah, I think Asuka is rubbing off on you." Misato notes, "You seem more short tempered now."

"Maybe that's because of your sick, perverted jokes." Sarah replies in a flat voice.

Misato glares at her but chooses not to retort, going back to eating.

* * *

"Gendo, is there anything on what that thing was in the Dead Sea Scrolls?" Fuyutsuki asks, standing next to Ikari's desk in his office.

"No, but I did find info on them in another document." Gendo states calmly, handing Fuyutsuki a folder.

Fuyutsuki looks through the folder, his expression surprised. "Those old men are going a bit afield for allies, aren't they?"

"We do not have tangible evidence they are allied with SEELE as of yet." he replies calmly. "However, it does show that they know about SEELE and that there will be sixteen more of these demons."

"What do we tell the UN and the Nerv personnel?"

"We tell them they are called Crimson Angels." Fuyutsuki looks surprised, but Gendo explains. "There is no need to cause a panic to the world about there being real demons from Hell looking to wipe out humanity." he frowns, "We will, however, tell the leaders of the Nerv bases about the truth. The Nerv Branch in Britain will have to start production of Evangelion Unit 07."

"Evangelion Unit 07? What about a pilot?" Fuyutsuki asks.

"We will select a pilot from the candidates at the school." he stands up, "That will be done after Eva Unit 07 is finished, however."

"Did Doctor Akagi find out what happened to Units 01 and 04 during the battle with the Eva Series?"

"She has theorized that Unit 01 gained enhanced speed, power, and accuracy when the pilot reached 300 sync. This also formed wings similar to those it had when it awoke during the assault by the JSSDF forces and just after Unit 02 was defeated, but before the Lance of Longinous returned. All wounds under its armor were healed, she also theorized it was this higher sync ratio. It happened once already during the 14th Angel if you recall."

"What about Evangelion Unit 04?" Fuyutsuki asks.

"She has yet to form a hypothesis and will ask the pilot of Unit 04 how he was able to change his sync ratio from 72 to 100. As well as allow its armor to absorb its AT Field to increase the strength of the Eva." Gendo responds. "If you excuse me, professor, I must inform the UN and Nerv bases about this new threat." Commander Ikari walks out of the room.

* * *

SEELE 01: Our benefactor has failed in his attempt to retrieve Unit 01.

SEELE 06: It seems his only good point was the funding he provided.

SEELE 03: Watch what you say. He can most likely overhear your comments.

SEELE 06: Perhaps, but it doesn't change the fact he failed this time.

SEELE 01: He has recently informed me that this messenger was not meant as a serious threat, but as a test. He was also disgusted with his messenger's absolute failure, however. Seiran was the weakest, and the next one he shall awaken in three weeks.

SEELE 08: By that time, all of Nerv's Evas will be fully repaired. Why not strike sooner?

SEELE 01: He believes that caution regarding Unit 01 is recommended. His next servant will be a water based creature.

SEELE 09: Ah, he plans to slowly whittle down their forces. Only Units 02 and 06 can battle underwater. The loss of Unit 02's pilot will heavily affect the pilot of Unit 01, making him an easier target.

SEELE 01: Correct. We shall begin the reconstruction of the Eva Series for that moment in time.

* * *

It is midnight. Asuka and Sarah are laying down in Asuka's now shared bedroom.

"Hey, Sarah." Asuka says to her, "Is that Patrick the one you were talking about before?"

Sarah nods, "Yes, he is. He said Third Impact brought him back to life."

Asuka smiles impishly, "So, did you tell him?"

"Umm." Sarah blushes, "I showed him, so I guess that counts."

"You mean that kiss Misato was talking about, right?"

"Yeah…" Sarah replies, still blushing, "Misato saw us and decided to tease us about it, so I didn't get the chance to make sure he felt the exact same way. I think he does though."

Asuka nodded. "Personally, to show my feelings, I'd never try kissing-" she stops herself from finishing her statement.

"Oh?" Sarah smiles, "You didn't finish by saying Shinji."

Asuka stays silent. "I do like the idiot but...I've treated him pretty cruelly during the Angel War. He probably wouldn't accept my feelings now that I've sorted them out."

"I think he would." Sarah disagreed. "Shinji doesn't seem like the type of person to hold a grudge."

Asuka sighs, "I guess so."

"What do you have to lose, Asuka?" Sarah asks, Asuka opens her mouth to reply but Sarah cuts her off. "Don't tell me, the relationship you have now right?" Asuka nods. "That is what I thought too, but it turned out okay in the end."

"I guess...Let me think about it." Asuka's voice is doubtful.

"Hopefully not too long. I almost lost the opportunity to tell Patrick how I felt about him, so don't make the same mistake." Sarah advises her.

* * *

Misato turns her laptop on and checks her emails and sees two new messages. She opens the one titled 'The Fifth Child.'

Hello Major Katsuragi.

I managed to dig up the information on Unit 04's pilot, though it was pain to get through the firewalls and cover my tracks. I was stunned at what this kid has in his file, he is at least as smart as Asuka is, if not greater. Anyway, read for yourself.

The Fifth Child.

Name: Patrick Luminaire

Age: 15

Sex: Male

Nationality: American

Hometown: Albany

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 175

Patrick tends to keep to himself, not comfortable in social situations. Despite this shyness, he had friends, thought not many. The person closest to him is Sarah Elenor, who he cares for deeply and is more open with her than any other person, except his mother who died 3 years ago. His mother's death changed him, making him even more reclusive than he was before, but his behavior changed and became more open after becoming the pilot of Evangelion Unit 04. Social life aside, this child has an incredible mind, his IQ nearly 200. He has not earned a college diploma, but has excelled in Mathematics and Science, graduating high school at the age of 12. He also enjoys things that challenge him mentally, but not physically. His life was lost during Unit 04's activation but was brought back to life due to Third Impact. His behavior afterwards has become mature and calm, thinking through situations rationally most of the time. It was also discovered that just before the Nerv Branch was destroyed, he chose to save Sarah Elenor, who was in the Eva Cage at the time, rather then minimize the potential widespread damage and lives lost.

The next section was too encrypted to decode and I couldn't access or copy it, sorry about that. Anyways, see you at Nerv tomorrow.

From your friend, Lt. Makoto Hyuga

Misato frowns, 'Hmm, too encrypted for even Hyuga to bypass? Sounds a bit fishy to me.' She closes the message and opens the second one, titled 'New Program.' She frowns and looks at the sender. Ritsuko Akagi. She opens it.

Hello Misato, I've started the development of a new addition to Nerv. A Virtual Reality Simulator that will be used to train pilots. Training in it should help the pilots fight other Evas in the event that SEELE returns (The Magi says it is 98.9% chance of SEELE returning for revenge). A great deal of the data for this program was transmitted from the Nerv Branch in America, and it seems two technicians along with the Fifth Child made this program. I had my doubts about it until I checked the boy's IQ, but it seems he has a lot of potential in coding and programming. Anyways, the Simulator should be ready in 10 days.

From, Ritsuko Akagi.

'Huh, a Virtual Simulator huh?' Misato thinks to herself. 'That might be an interesting idea to try. Oh, there's something else.'

P.S. Tell Patrick I'd like to see him in my office in the morning. I have some questions for him.

'Hmm, I think I'll go with him.' Misato says to herself. 'I'm curious as to what Rits wants to ask him about.'

* * *

"Breakfast is ready." Shinji calls from the kitchen. Everyone but Misato and Shinji walk into the kitchen sit down, waiting expectantly. Misato walks out of her room and does her usual routine, Patrick just stares at her his face neutral.

"What?" Misato demanded.

"Nothing." he replies calmly then turns to Sarah, "Does she wake up like that often?"

"Well." Sarah begins, "Unfortunately, yes. It happens every day. She acts like an overexcited teenager in my opinion."

"I'd have to agree with-" Patrick stops in mid sentence as a penguin waddles over to the fridge, grabs a can of beer and chugs some of it down.

He waddles over to Shinji. "WARK." Shinji hands him a fish, which he puts in his mouth and swallows it whole. He waddles back to his refrigerator room, drinks some more beer, enters and closes the door behind himself.

Patrick just stares at the door the penguin went into and looks at Sarah. "...Was that a penguin?"

"Yup" Misato responds for her. "His name is Pen Pen."

"How can it drink BEER though?" Patrick asks.

Misato shrugs. "Don't know. Anyways, Ritsuko wants to talk with you this morning. We can go after breakfast."

"What about us?" Asuka demanded.

"You get to stay here." Misato states blandly.

Asuka snorts. Sarah looks like she is going to protest but stops herself.

* * *

Patrick enters Doctor Akagi's office, with Misato following him. "Good to see you-" Ritsuko notices Misato and sighs. "Okay, you can stay Misato."

"Thanks, I was going to anyways." Misato replies cheerfully.

Ritsuko ignores that and turns to Patrick. "I have some questions for you." Patrick nods. "The first is how you could jump from 72 sync ratio to 100, and then have your own Eva's armor absorb its own AT Field."

Patrick frowns, "Okay. You didn't see the data on Unit 04 so it's understandable you'd want to know about that." Patrick thinks for a moment. "I'll start by explaining the Eva L.R. Program."

"Eva L.R. Program?" Ritsuko looks confused.

"The Evangelion Limiter Removal Program. It allows complete sync between the movements of the pilot and Eva. The downside being I feel every bit of pain from injuries. If my Eva got a wound that could kill me, I might die from it." Patrick states calmly.

Ritsuko frowns, typing down the explanation. "What about the armor absorbing the AT Field?"

"That's part of another upgrade. The gist of it is basically it absorbs the AT Field to increase speed, power, etc."

"Hmm. Okay, one last question. Did you really work on the Evangelion Virtual Reality Simulator?" Ritsuko asks curiously.

Patrick nods, "I'm impressed you heard about that."

"The data was sent from Nerv Nevada." Ritsuko explains.

"Oh. That makes sense. Would you like help with it?"

"Sure." Ritsuko replies, "As long as you know how to code and program." Patrick nods. "Okay, we can get started in an hour."

* * *

One Week Later

"Well, that went faster than expected." Ritsuko notes, looking at two special entry plug-shaped control booths, complete with Eva controls in the lower level of the secondary command center. "Thanks for the help, Patrick."

"It isn't a problem." he winces, "My shoulder still feels numb."

Ritsuko nods, "You did overwork yourself helping us, so it will be another day or two before it's fully healed."

Patrick sighs. "Well, I'll sit out on this I guess."

All the Eva Pilots enter the secondary command center in plug suits. Most of the technicians that are usually in the main control center are gathered here, even Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki are present. Toji glances at the Virtual Reality entry plugs. "Why were we told to suit up?" he grumbles. "And what are those things?" Toji points at the entry plugs.

"They are Virtual Reality Simulation Pods, Fourth Child." Gendo states in a calm voice, sitting on the upper level. "They will be used for training so when the Eva Series returns, you will be more efficient in combat."

"There's only two though." Kensuke states, "Why isn't there more?"

"The training involves battling your fellow pilots in one on one matches." Ritsuko explains, "Over time, both people will improve their skills."

"Alright!" Asuka cheers, "I can finally prove I'm the best Eva pilot now."

"Hmp." Toji mutters, "The only thing your best at is being annoying." Asuka punches Toji in the face for that comment.

"Hey now." Ritsuko protests. "Save the fighting for the simulator. Now, if your Eva gets damaged, you well feel pain in accordance with your sync ratio. In other words, it's like fighting in a real Eva but there won't be any long term side effects. You'll all have 5 minutes, if time runs out or you both are defeated, it is a draw."

"So who goes first?" Misato asks Ritsuko, who is holding a clipboard.

"I randomized the names to make the matches unpredictable. The first two up are-" Ritsuko looks shocked. "...Wow, talk about irony. These two in the first match."

Misato looks at the first two up, her eyes widening. "I'd have to agree with you there. Are you sure this device is safe?"

Ritsuko nods. "Completely safe."

Asuka was getting impatient. "Who is in the first match?" she demanded.

"...Shinji vs. Asuka." Ritsuko states softly. A gasp echoes in the room by most of the people there, knowing about the rivalry between Shinji and Asuka.

Shinji and Asuka look at each other in surprise. "Oh, this is going to be fun, Third Child." Asuka says, grinning. "This will be my chance to prove at long last I'm the best Eva Pilot here."

"Don't get overconfident, Asuka." Shinji replies, his expression confident. "I'll show you why I've defeated the most Angels."

Both of them walk towards the entry plugs. Misato sighs, "This probably won't end very well, will it?" she asks herself.

* * *

The pilots enter the entry plugs, "Okay, the controls are exactly the same as in you Evas, so there shouldn't be any difficulty." Both Shinji and Asuka nod. The entry plugs close and Ritsuko goes back to the controls. "Okay, the Virtual Reality Simulator is online." A screen appears in the room, displaying two Evas in what looks like the city of Tokyo 3. They are Eva Units 01 and 02.

Shinji looks around and sees the city of Tokyo 3 with Unit 02 in front of him. A comm. link from Unit 02 opens up and Asuka's triumphant face appears in it. "I've wanted to do this for a long time, Third Child." she says, smirking. "Enjoy losing to me."

Shinji glares at her, "I'm going to enjoy kicking you off your throne, you Highness." Shinji states flatly. Asuka snarls and closes the comm. channel.

The timer starts. 5:00 Minutes Left.

Unit 01 picks up a Prog. Sword while Unit 02 picks up a heavy railgun. "Eat this!" Unit 02 fires at Unit 01. Unit 01 quickly ducks behind a nearby building, gunfire spraying the area. Unit 01 notices the nearby light pistol on the ground and quickly grabs it. He then uses the reflection of Unit 02 in a nearby building to find her and, moving quickly, points the gun out from behind the building and fires at Unit 02, damaging the railgun. Unit 02 throws the railgun away and uses her AT Field to block the bullets. Unit 01 runs out of ammo, discards the light pistol, and comes out from behind the building, charging at Unit 02 with a Prog. Sword in hand.

Unit 02 picks up a Double-bladed Prog. Sword and blocks Unit 01's downward slash, the force of it breaking the nearby windows. Both of them activate their AT Field at the same time, causing them to be pushed away from each other. Both of them keep their stances and charge at each other, their swords clashing with each other, neither giving a single inch or sloppy move.

* * *

"Holy shit.." Hyuga says softly.

"Both of their sync ratios are staying constant at 100." Maya's surprised voice says to Ritsuko.

"Amazing..." Kensuke mutters, looking in awe at the fight. Toji just nods, unable to speak.

Gendo watches the battle, his face showing his interest in this fight.

Misato's face is concerned. Not so much for the pilots physical well being but their emotional well being. She knew whoever lost would suffer a loss in confidence.

* * *

3:00 Minutes Left

The Evas jump back, discard their swords and each pick up a machine gun and fire it at their opponent, running in a circle. The gun fire hits each other, none of the bullets ever reaching their opponent's Eva. Both of them run out of ammo at the same time. They charge at each other, discarding their machine guns. Just before they reach each other, they draw their Prog. Knife from their shoulder holster, and slash diagonally at their opponent. Both Knives hit each other and force them back but both quickly recover and slash at their opponent again.

1:45 Minutes Left

Both of them jump back 10 meters and throw their Prog. Knives at their opponent. The Knives hit each other and are knocked to the ground. Both charge and jump kick, hitting each other in the chest, knocking them back. They quickly get back to their feet and initiate a fierce grapple, both of them not giving an inch. Suddenly, Unit 01 lets Unit 02 win the grapple, catching her off guard, he grabs her right arm with both hands and throws her over his shoulder and into the ground. Unit 02 trips Unit 01 and tries to strangle Unit 01, but Unit 01 knees Unit 02 in the chest and throws her off. Both regain their footing and throw and punch at each other, both of them catching the punch with their other hand.

1:00 Minute Left

Unit 02 headbutts Unit 01, knocking him off balance. Unit 02 quickly follows off with a drop kick, but Unit 01 catches it and pulls Unit 02 of her other foot. Unit 01 attempts to jump onto Unit 02 and pin her to the ground, but Unit 02 uses her feet to catch Unit 01 and kick him away. Unit 02 rolls back and onto her feet again, then shoulder charges into Unit 01, knocking him off balance but not off his feet. He managed to keep his feet by bracing himself. Unit 01 kicks Unit 02 back and tries to punch her in the face, but his arm is grabbed and he is thrown over Unit 02's shoulder. Unit 01 kicks up but Unit 02 jump back and avoids it. Unit 01 back flips and regains his footing.

30 Seconds Left

Both of them open the weapons cache next to them and pull out a Prog. Sword. Both charge and sword lock with each other, each pushing with all their force. Suddenly both glow with a golden light.

* * *

"Sir!" Maya's voice is horrified. "Both of their Syncs have reached 300!"

"What?" Ritsuko looks shocked.

* * *

Both Eva Units 01 and 02 grow two diamond shaped wings made from their AT Field. Both withdraw from the sword lock and slash at each other continuously at high speeds, each of them blocking the other's attacks successfully.

5 Seconds Left

They both jump back 25 meters each and then use their wings to charge at each other at high speeds, their AT Fields deployed at maximum. The force of their swords and AT Fields colliding with each other causes a massive explosion, destroying both Eva Units.

* * *

Everyone in the secondary control room was speechless at the outcome of the battle. "Hey, are they okay?" Misato demanded of Ritsuko.

Ritsuko shakes off the shock of the fight and checks the entry plugs and their vital signs. She sighs with relief, "Both of them are okay, just unconscious." She looks at Maya, "Call a medical team down here, immediately."

"Yes ma'am." Maya responds.

"...Holy shit." Toji's voice is fearful. "I really wouldn't want to fight either of them when they are that serious." Kensuke just nods in agreement.

"That was scary" Sarah said softly, shuddering.

"...Yeah." Patrick agrees.

Rei looks slightly surprised at the battle, showing some emotion at it but returns to normal. Commander Ikari smiles faintly, though his eyes are faintly concerned. The medical team arrives and take both Shinji and Asuka to the recovery ward.

* * *

Shinji wakes up in a room with white walls and in a white bed with covers. He looks to his left, Asuka also waking up in the next bed over. "What happened?" Shinji asked her.

Asuka shrugs, "I was going to ask you that."

Misato opens the door and looks inside. She breathes a sigh of relief, "I'm glad you both are okay." She tells them what happened, both of them are surprised they reached 300 sync. "Anyways, Ritsuko wants to hold you both under observation for a few days. Everyone else went home already, because it's 7:00 pm." Misato smiles impishly. "Congrats, you slept a full 10 hours in the same room as each other." Misato's says teasingly, causing them both to blush.

"Shutup, Misato!" both of them say in unison.

* * *

A/N: Wow, what a battle. It ended in a tie, but it was still awesome. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, see you next time.

Read and Review!


	8. Raimar's Cry

A/N: Well, I'm slightly sad that I don't get many reviews, but then, I suppose it doesn't matter. I'm writing this story because I WANT to, not for publicity. Also, did you know the symbol for Satanism is an upside down star surrounded by a circle? That's mainly why I decided to use it. Anyways, enough blathering, off to the story!

A/A/N: I've been having some writers block, so sorry for taking so long to post a chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion or anything related to it.

* * *

Ritsuko Akagi is in her private office, looking over the data in the simulation battle between Shinji and Asuka, frowning at how both did something that wasn't even IN the simulation. Having 300 sync and growing AT Field generated wings wasn't even IN the simulation data. Could it be that...

There is a knock on her office door. "Who is it?" Ritsuko asked, slightly annoyed at the interruption.

"It's me, Rits." Misato's voice is heard.

"Oh, come in Misato." Misato's face was annoyed and angry. "What's wrong?"

Misato glares at her. "You said that thing was perfectly safe." she accuses Ritsuko.

"It was. All that happened was they were knock unconscious from the 300 sync ratio." Ritsuko explains calmly.

Misato throws two pictures from the camera footage of Units 01 and 02 Cages onto Ritsuko's computer keyboard. "The real Evas grew wings the same time the ones in the simulator did. What the hell, Ritsuko?"

Ritsuko looks surprised, "They what?" she looks at the pictures, her expression shocked.

"You heard me. Now tell me what the hell you did."

Ritsuko frowns. "I think I have an explanation."

"Then 'explain' it to me." Misato demands in a flat voice.

"It would have taken 10 days, even with the Fifth Child's expertise in the program, so I decided to speed up the programming by connecting the simulator entry plugs with the Eva Units." she explains.

"You did what?"

"Don't worry, I didn't connect it enough to move or really damage the Eva." she frowns. "This does explain how it grew Wings in the Simulator. In a way, this works out better than just guessing what the Eva can do and putting in our guesses."

"Are you telling me both Asuka AND Shinji can reach 300 sync? As well as gain those wings?"

"Yes. It seems that way, but I don't know if they can do it consciously yet or not."

Misato sighs, "Are there any other side effects to this?"

"None. The only thing I didn't predict was what the Evas did." Ritsuko taps her keyboard, "I'd better inform the bastard about the Evas and see if we should change the Simulator so this doesn't happen again."

"Good luck with that." Misato says calmly, leaving the room.

* * *

Gendo decided to keep the simulator the way it is, provided the Evas were placed under complete observation during the simulation battles and the pilots safety was top priority. Ritsuko was more than a little surprised at him even giving a damn about the pilots but he explained that the Evas needed pilots, and pilots put in the hospital due to a simulation battle would lower Nerv's battle strength against both SEELE and the Crimson Angels.

Ritsuko sits in her office after the meeting with Commanders Fuyutsuki and Ikari, puzzled by Gendo Ikari's behavior. 'Why should he care about the pilots safety?' Ritsuko thinks to herself. 'After all, he didn't before...Maybe Third Impact changed him, God knows it changed a lot of people. Things like Shinji standing up for himself and Asuka not constantly trying to pick fights with other people are definitely proof that Third Impact changed people.' There is a knock on her door. "Come in."

Patrick slowly opens the door and enters the room. He looks at Ritsuko curiously, "I never thought of actually connecting the Evas directly to the simulator." he says calmly.

Ritsuko shrugs, "You made the simulator program originally, I just decided to expand it."

"Please don't give me credit." Patrick says, "I just helped in the development, I didn't do much besides that."

"Don't be so humble." Ritsuko replies. "Anyways, that can't be the only reason you came to see me, right?"

Patrick nods, "I was told to give Commander Ikari all the data on Evangelion Unit 04." Ritsuko looks surprised, but Patrick continues, "Don't make too big a note about it, though. The U.S. Government doesn't know about this so Commander Holtner didn't really have approval to give this information to Commander Ikari." he sighs, "As for why I'm giving it to you well…" He takes out a data disk and hands it to Ritsuko. "I have a feeling I can trust you to give it to Commander Ikari for me." Patrick begins to leave the room, "Oh, did you know? Hikari has been bringing Toji lunch for school. I wonder why she does that." Patrick shrugs and leaves the room.

Ritsuko frowns and inserts the disk into her computer. She opens the first file in the disk.

Evangelion Unit 04 (Personal File made by Patrick Luminaire).

After Third Impact and the restoration of the Nerv Branch in Nevada, Commander Samantha wisely decided to redesign Unit 04 completely. Surprisingly, the S2 Engine was completely safe...so whatever happened, it was probably sabotage. I won't point any fingers, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was SEELE. After all, they wouldn't want Nerv to get their hands on an Eva with and S2 Engine and these upgrades. Speaking of these upgrades, Unit 04 has booster engines for limited flight capabilities. Not very efficient, but they are helpful.

Oh, let's not forget the Evangelion Limiter Release Program, or Eva L.R. Program. The Eva's movements are connected directly with the pilot's, so if the pilot clenches his right fist, the Eva does as well. This makes the Pilot's sync ratio 100, so in effect, it also acts like a double edged sword. The Pilot will feel any damage done to the Eva, and if the wound is serious enough, it could be fatal to the pilot. During the program, in order to fully take advantage of the Eva's full power, it's AT Field is infused with its armor. This dramatically increases defensive plating power, as well as the strength of attacks. This also heightens the pilot's five senses in order to increase awareness and capabilities in battle when controlling the Eva. This is very taxing on the body, however, and should be used only if absolutely necessary.

'That explains a great deal of what happened during the fight with the Eva Series.' Ritsuko notes to herself. She closes the file and opens the file below it, which shows the more in-depth version of the Eva L.R. Program. After ten minutes, she closes it and notices another file with the name, "Post 3I Upgrade." Ritsuko frowns and tries to open it, but a password window pops up. 'I need a password for this file?' She thinks for a moment, 'He says he trusts me yet puts a password on this file- wait, what did he say during the conversation...maybe there is a clue.' She types Evangelion Simulator, but can't type past 12 letters. 'So, the password is twelve English characters or less long.'

She types a variety of passwords but is unable to open the file. Ritsuko sighs, 'I guess I could get the Magi to decode it but he did say he trusted me, which also might mean he believes I'll be able to solve this myself. Wait, what he said when he left was off topic maybe...' Ritsuko types Hikari, but nothing changes. Ritsuko types Hikari's name in English, meaning "Light." Nothing changes. 'Hmm, why twelve characters long though. Wait a second...Light causes many things. It illuminates, brings warmth, hope, and life...' Ritsuko looks surprised, "It can't be THAT simple." Ritsuko demanded out loud. She types in "Lightbringer" and hits the 'Ok' button for the password window. The File opens, named 'Project "Lightbringer."

'Well, that was oddly simple. I guess there must be a reason why this file is-' Ritsuko begins to think to herself but stops as she reads it. "...How is this even possible?" her expression is stunned as she reads it.

* * *

"This was unexpected." Darvin voice notes calmly from a hooded figure standing in the Eva Cages two weeks later, looking at Eva Unit 02. He is unnoticed and unrecorded by security cameras. He turns to the young man, also wearing a black hooded cloak. "Eva Unit 02 awakened sooner than predicted. Will this effect the plan my Lord?"

"No. However, I believe we shall strike now rather than in a week. Evangelion Units 00, 01, 02, 04, and 06 are all already fully repaired." The figure responds calmly, his eyes narrowing. "I definitely don't want Eva 02's pilot fully understanding and awakening the full potential of her Eva." The figure turns sharply towards one of the doorways in the Cage, his eyes narrowing.

Darvin also looks, "What is it, my Lord?" his voice is confused.

"...Nothing. I thought for a second someone detected us." his voice is cautious.

Darvin chuckles, "They couldn't muster enough awareness to detect us even if we waved at them, so long as our cloaks hide us and we hide our presence."

"Perhaps...but we should avoid approaching the Eva Pilots. They could possibly detect us." the young man states calmly.

Darvin frowns, "That is true...So should we send Raimar now?"

"We should do that now. His task is to take down Units 02 and 06, as well as their pilots. If he is successful, it will greatly effect the morale of Nerv, as well as the Third and Fifth Children, practically cutting their battle strength in half. Then either SEELE will strike or I will send Centuron to defeat the others and retrieve Unit 01." The young man and Darvin vanish.

Rei is standing against the wall just outside Unit 02's Eva Cage, her eyes cautious. "You noticed them too?" Rei sharply turns and sees Patrick walking towards Unit 02's Cage doorway.

Rei merely nods, "I felt something strange so I chose to investigate. Why did the others not notice them?" she replies in a monotone voice.

"I'm not sure. I think I noticed one of them during the battle with the Eva Series." Patrick frowns, "Rei, I have a question."

"What is it you wish to ask, Fifth Child?"

"Why is it that you show almost no emotion?" Patrick asks curiously.

"I do not understand. I merely do as Commander Ikari instructs." Rei replies in that same monotone voice.

"Humans have the free will to do anything they want. You don't have to just obey Shinji's father, you have the choice to disobey him and make your own choices and decisions." Patrick states calmly to her.

Rei frowns slightly, remembering that she disobeyed Commander Ikari before Third Impact by allowing Shinji control Instrumentality. "That is true. I am thankful you reminded me of this, Fifth Child." her voice seems less monotone, slightly grateful.

"Please, just call me Patrick. I kind of don't like being called the Fifth Child, mainly because an Angel acted as the Fifth, or so I've heard."

Rei nods, "I apologize for calling you the Fifth Child, Patrick." she frowns slightly. "Should we report the two intruders?"

Patrick sighs, "We should, but it might be better in the long run not to. If they return and think that we don't know about their presence, they may just let their guard down, allowing us to capture them."

"Very well." Rei replies. "That tactic seems logical."

* * *

The Doorway stands in the darkness. The young man, still in his hood black cloak, faces his right palm towards one of the crimson orbs in the circle. "Awaken, Raimar." he says calmly. "Destroy Units 02 and 06, as well as their pilots. Failure will not be tolerated." The crimson orb he pointed to vanishes.

* * *

Meanwhile back at Misato's Apartment...

Both Asuka and Shinji are sitting on the couch at opposite ends, watching tv. Surprisingly, they didn't fight over the channel and found a show they both would watch. Misato is in her room looking over files recently sent to her about the Fifth Child and Eva Unit 04.

"Hey, Shinji?" Asuka looks slightly nervous, choosing to take Sarah's advice about just telling Shinji her feelings.

"Umm, yes Asuka?" Shinji looks confused, believing he didn't do anything to annoy her at all today.

"Well..." Asuka stops herself, afraid of saying it. She tries a different tactic. "Do you have anyone you like?"

"Umm..." Shinji flushes, "I have alot of people I like. Misato, Toji, Kensuke. Rei-"

"I don't mean it like THAT." Asuka cuts him off. "I mean LIKE like."

"Oh, umm..." Shinji looks away, "You mean love?"

"Yeah." Asuka says, hesitating.

Shinji looks at her, afraid of her reaction. "Y-Yes."

"Who is it?" Asuka stares at Shinji, 'It can't be me...can it?' she thinks to herself.

"Well, umm..." He tries to avoid looking at her, still very afraid of her reaction if he told Asuka the truth.

"If you can't say it, then just answer this. Does the person you love live in this apartment?" Shinji just nods. 'That just narrows it down to Misato, Sarah and Me.' she thinks to herself. 'Not Misato, she already has Kaji and Shinji looks at her as a mother figure. Sarah or Me then. Wait, perfect question to find out for sure.'

"Is it me?"

Misato's voice caused both Shinji and Asuka to almost jump back, blushing. Both were unaware that they were six inches from each other when Misato leaned in between them. "What the hell, Misato?" Asuka demanded angrily. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Misato laughs, "Your expressions were priceless. Anyways, there's a sync test today and-" The city alarm goes off, stopping her from finishing her statement. "Well, it seems we will be going to Nerv anyways."

* * *

The command center was half full when Misato rushed inside. Ritsuko turns to her. "Ah, just in time. We've detected another Crimson Waveform Pattern around the sunken ruins of Old Tokyo. So we'll be deploying Units 02 and 06 for combat with it. The other Evas will be for backup."

Misato blinks. "Well, okay. That plan sounds fine, so are we moving the base of operations to that area?"

Ritsuko nods. "You'll be going out there with Hyuga and Aoba. Maya, myself, and both Commanders Fuyutsuki and Ikari will observe from here."

"So in other words, I'm going to the front lines while YOU stay nice and safe in the Geofront." Misato states in a flat voice.

"Yup." Ritsuko replies cheerfully. Her face then grew serious and she whispered to Misato, "Did you read the data I sent you?"

"Not all of it. I was going to ask you the password to the last section during today's sync test." Misato whispered back.

Ritsuko looks surprised, "You can't figure it out? I even gave you the hint Patrick gave me."

"Well sorry for not using the Magi." Misato retorted.

"I didn't use the Magi, I figured it out myself." Ritsuko replied with faint annoyance. "It's quite simple, I almost missed it. Since you aren't as smart as me, you'd figure it out sooner." she says teasingly.

Misato glared at her and stalked off, muttering to herself.

* * *

"Umm, Misato."

"Yes Shinji?" Misato replied.

"Why are we near Old Tokyo?" he asks.

"The Magi detected a Crimson Waveform Pattern."

"Oh great, another of those things right?" Asuka demanded.

"I guess so. It seems to be water based so Units 02 and 06 are up first. Unit 00 will act as long range support. Units 01 and 04 will act as your backup, in case you need your 'Knights in Shining Armor' to save you two." she finishes the statement smirking.

"HEY!" Asuka and Sarah both shouted, blushing. Misato chuckles and looks at Shinji and Patrick's reactions. Both of them were embarrassed. 'Geez, it's almost like we have two Shinji's and Asuka's...' she thinks to herself. She glances at Rei's reaction and is shocked. Rei was actually smiling and her expression was almost amused. Sure it was faint, but Misato could still see it. 'Did Fourth Impact happen when I wasn't noticing or something?' she thinks to herself.

Evas 02 and 06 activate, both having umbilical cables attached to them. Units 02 and 06 walk over to the weapons cache that Misato had Nerv bring along. Unit 02 gets, surprise, a double bladed Prog. Sword and heavy railgun. Unit 02 grabs a Prog. Spear and light pistol. They both slowly approach the water. Suddenly a huge serpent like creature jumps out of the water. It is covered in scales that are colored a mix of navy blue and dark green, it also have sharp scales that are curved like blades, and it has a horn on the crown of its head that glows faintly, with four short horns jutting out of the main one. Its teeth appear very sharp, enough to chew through steel. The tip of its tail has curved spikes on it and looks dangerous enough to do more damage than its teeth. It dives back into the water.

"Is that the target?" Asuka demanded. "It looks like an oversized water snake."

"That thing has horns, teeth, and a spiked tail. How was that a water snake?" Sarah demanded.

"Hey, it's called exaggerating." Asuka replied. "Try it sometime."

"Okay, okay. Enough." Misato says in a flat voice. "Yes, that IS the target, the 2nd Crimson Angel. Commander Ikari gave them the name." She didn't necessarily believe that he told her everything though. She could confront him about it later though.

"So, how do we gut the bastard?" Asuka demanded.

"The scales seem to be thinner near the tail and head." Hyuga reports, "There is also faint energy readings from the target's horn."

"Where is its S2 Core?" Misato asks him.

"It appears to be directly under the horn." Hyuga responds as its head and part of its body comes up above the water.

"Alright. Sarah, back me up." Asuka orders Sarah, getting ready to dash at the Crimson Angel. "I'm cutting the bastard's head off."

"How about ASKING me to be backup, instead of ordering me, Asuka." Sarah looks annoyed as the Crimson Angel's horn glows brighter, sparks gathering around it.

"How about shutting up and-" Asuka begins but suddenly both Units 02 and 06 are hit by a barrage of lightning bolts that were fired from the Crimson Angel's horn.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Misato demanded

"Units 02 and 06 are having electrical damage from the Crimson Angel's lightning!" Hyuga reports.

"Umbilical cable connector damaged!" Aoba responds in a bleak voice. "They can't use the cables anymore."

* * *

The 5:00 Minute timer comes online.

"Gah.. son of a..." Asuka shakes her head, knocked senseless from the attack. She froze as she notices the timer. "SHIEST!" Unit 02 picks up her heavy railgun and fires at the Crimson Angel, but it goes back into the water. "Get back here, arschloch!" she screams at it, continuing to fire at the water where it dived.

Unit 06 staggers to its feet. Sarah also notices the timer. 'Damnit.' She looks over at Unit 02, who is wasting ammo shooting at the water like that. "Wait, Asuka. You are wasting ammo."

Asuka glares at her and stops firing. "You have a better idea?" her voice tone was challenging.

"Yes. We go after it underwater." Sarah suggested. "These Evas are both made to function in water, right?"

Asuka frowns, then her face brightens up. "You're right. But wait, what happens if we run out of power down there?"

Sarah shrugs, "We can worry about it later, lets go." she charges into the water. Asuka sighs and, regretfully, leaves her heavy railgun behind and follows Unit 06 underwater with her double bladed Prog. Sword.

* * *

A cloaked and hooded figure observes the battle from the top of one of the partially sunken building. 'No matter how smart of an idea that is, it means nothing to Raimar. Had you remained out of the water, you could have lived, as Raimar cannot traverse land. You two have sealed your own fates.'

* * *

The sunken ruins of Old Tokyo made looking for the Crimson Angel very difficult, as it could be hiding anywhere. The buildings loomed around them, and visibility was low. Whether that was because of natural causes or the Crimson Angel doing it to give itself an advantage, it was never known. "It's cold down here..." Sarah shivers.

"Stop complaining. It was your idea to come down here." Asuka replies in an annoyed voice.

"I'm NOT complaining. I'm just commenting, geez." Sarah looks offended. She glances at the timer. "We have only 3 and a half minutes left."

"Yeah, I noticed." Asuka remarks in a flat voice.

Sarah becomes quiet and then switches the comm to a private channel. "Okay Asuka, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She replies shortly.

"I'm not an idiot, Asuka." Sarah replies calmly. "I can tell you're upset about something."

Asuka sighs, "It's just that...well I took your advice about telling Shinji." Sarah nods, "I couldn't SAY it so I tried something else..." Asuka explains to Sarah what exactly happened.

Sarah becomes quiet. "Misato has a bad sense of timing." Sarah says in an annoyed voice. "But you at least confirmed something."

"What?" Asuka asks, her expression baffled.

"You are the one he likes." Sarah says in an amused voice.

"But I didn't confirm that!" Asuka protested. "How'd you come up with that idea?"

"Elimination. Misato is like a mother figure to you both, and Shinji also sees her in that regard." Sarah explains, "Now, I can tell he likes you more than me because of the expressions and tone of voice he uses when around you."

"But-" Asuka begins but is cut off.

"We had this discussion already." Sarah replies with an annoyed voice. She glances at the timer. 2:00. "Okay, we'll have to finish this later. Right now, we have an eel to chop up."

Asuka smiles faintly but then starts looking around. "Where do you think it is?"

"Probably hiding until we are out of power." Sarah replies bleakly. "Then it will try to kill us when we can't fight back."

"...Maybe we should get out of the water." Asuka suggested, Unit 02 half running back to the shoreline. Suddenly, the Crimson Angel charges from in between two buildings and at Unit 02. Asuka barely has enough time to deploy her AT Field before it hits it. Sarah fires her light pistol at the Crimson Angel, but nothing happens, forgetting that weapons don't work underwater. She discards it and charges towards the enemy with her Prog. Spear. The creature charges lightning again but instead of shooting it, the Crimson Angel channels it around its body. It gives up on trying to break through Unit 02's AT Field and charges at Unit 06 before it can react in time, heavily damaging its frontal plate armor.

* * *

"Unit 06's armor is severely damaged! The electricity from the Crimson Angel has also short circuited its backup power supply!" Hyuga reports in a fearful voice.

"You still can't open communications with Units 02 or 06?" Misato demanded.

"Sorry sir." Aoba replied. "The Crimson Angel seems to be projecting a disruption field to prevent us from contacting them."

"Shinji, Patrick. Change of plans. Both of you are going down there to help." Misato orders.

"But Major." Hyuga protests. "Their Evas aren't meant for underwater combat."

Misato becomes quiet. She grabs a portable radio and goes out of earshot of Hyuga and Aoba and opens communications with Patrick. "Listen. You need to activate the Eva L.R. Program and go down there. There is no other way to help Sarah or Asuka. Do you understand?"

"...How did you know about that?" Patrick's voice is uneasy. "Did Ritsuko tell you?"

"Yes. As your guardian, I should know these things. Now get down there."

"...Right." Patrick replies, closing the channel.

"Sir!" Hyuga reports, "Eva Unit 04's pilot has reached 100 sync!"

"The readings on Eva Unit 04 are the same as what was recorded during the fight with the Eva Series!" Aoba also reports.

* * *

Unit 02 manages to block a tail slam by the creature using her AT Field. It snarls in frustration at the failed attack, and attempts to ram her, but she slashes at the Crimson Angel, cutting into its face. It screeches in pain, the blade cutting into its flesh, and swims away quickly. Unit 02 dashes over to Unit 06 and opens communications. "You okay, Sarah?"

"Uhh..." Only audio is available, "I've felt a lot better...does that help?"

Asuka chuckles softly. "Don't worry, I'm dragging you back to shore." Unit 02 lift Unit 06 to its feet and begins to half carry and half drag it back to the shore. Raimar, however, wasn't going to just allow his prey to flee. His Master doesn't take very kindly to failure. Just as Asuka reaches the water depth where Unit 02's head reaches the water surface, Raimar risks its OWN neck by firing uncontrolled lightning underwater. This damages Units 02 and 06, as well as itself, locking up Unit 02's movements for a second but just as she attempts to move again, her power goes offline. The time reads 0:00, she is out of power. 'Shiest.' she swore to herself. Raimar charges straight towards her head, its jaws opening as if to bite her Eva's head off. Just inches from the Eva, it is blasted back by a strong shockwave caused by Unit 04's AT Field infused punch.

Unit 01, while not suited for underwater combat, can move in water. It reaches in and pulls both Units 02 and 06 out of the water. "Are you okay, Asuka?" Shinji's concerned voice enters Asuka's Entry Plug, but due to the lack of power, there is no visual.

"...Yeah. Thanks, I guessed you saved me again.." she mutters, faintly annoyed.

"Sorry. I wasn't the one who saved you, but I did get both you and Sarah out of the water." Shinji replies.

"Oh, thank you." Asuka says without thinking. She blushes when she realizes she actually said that and is glad her face can't be seen.

"Oh.. umm...your welcome." Shinji's stuttered response is heard by Asuka.

'He is probably blushing and nervous about being thanked by ME of all people.' she thinks to herself.

* * *

Unit 04 punches the Crimson Angel with devastating force, knocking it away. "Shinji, hurry and gets Asuka and Sarah out of here." Patrick says sharply to Shinji. "I'm taking this thing down." Shinji just nods and begins retrieving Units 02 and 06.

"Okay, you son of a bitch." Patrick says with uncharacteristic anger. "You will deeply regret hurting the woman I love."

Raimar snarls and charges its lightning around its body and charges at him. Unit 04 stops its advance with its hands, enduring the pain of the electricity. Unit 04 lets the Crimson Angel win and push him the ground, catching Raimar off guard. With a roar, Unit 04 double kicks with all the energy it has, its AT Field focused in its feet, blasting it away with tremendous force out of the water and high into the air. "NOW REI!" he shouts, Patrick's voice sounding weak.

Unit 00, who was meant as long range support and had plenty of time to store energy into her rifle, fires straight at the Crimson Angel's horn. It partially absorbs the energy of the positron sniper rifle, but cannot handle the amount of energy and explodes, destroying its entire head and S2 Core along with it. The limp body of the Crimson Angel lands on the shore line and begins to burn down to ashes.

* * *

"Nice one, Patrick!" Misato cheers. Hyuga and Aoba high five each other. There is no response from Unit 04. "Hey, Patrick. You there?" Nothing.

Misato's face becomes pale and she quickly checks the pilots life signs. She gasps and quickly opens a communications channel to Unit 01. "Shinji! Hurry and get Unit 04 out of the water NOW!" she ordered, her voice fearful. She turns to Hyuga, "Get a medical team over to Unit 04 as soon as it is out of the water!" Hyuga blinks but immediately calls the Nerv Medical Team.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I'm evil enough to leave it at a cliffhanger like this. It was a pain in the ass to write this chapter at first, but meh. See you next chapter. Remember, I will publish at least one chapter a week.

Read and Review!


	9. Centuron's Charge

A/N: It was kinda mean leaving that at a cliffhanger, but cliffhangers are used to get the audience screaming to see the next part, and it works great with TV programs. Anyways, on to the regularly scheduled FanFic Chapter.

A/A/N: Well, you've noticed I took longer than usual making this chapter. Sadly, life tends to intervene when writing. I also noticed some errors in the previous chapter and fixed them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion, back off lawyers!

* * *

Fun Fact: Last month, I got precisely 666 Hits. I don't know whether that's ironic or a sign of things to come later in the story.

* * *

To say that Misato was calm about the situation would be a liar. She wasn't going crazy or anything like that, but her voice and expression was very concerned as she looked at the Fifth Child, laying down in a bed and connected to a life support system in Nerv's recovery hospital inside the Geofront. "What happened to him, Ritsuko?" she asks.

Ritsuko, in contrast to Misato, was quite calm and cool headed at the moment, examining Patrick. "You saw what happened, Misato." she states calmly, "There is really nothing for me to add."

Misato glares at her. "Humor me, Doctor Akagi." she states in a flat voice.

Ritsuko glances at Misato and sighs. "You know that the high the sync, the more connected the pilot is to the Eva. He had a perfect sync, therefore able to feel everything that happens to it." Misato nods and Ritsuko continues. "You saw the recording of the battle. He stopped that target with his bare hands while it had electricity charged into its body. The moment Unit 04 touched the creature, it sent electricity directly into Eva 04, and since the pilot could feel everything done to the Eva, he felt it too."

"Okay. I get that part. Why is he on life support then?" Misato demanded.

"You got the reason why. The shock from the-" Ritsuko began but Misato cut her off.

"That's horseshit. I saw the medical team pull him out and he was conscious. He had burns on him but not to the extent the Eva received, not to mention when he was still conscious, he looked severely exhausted, like he tried to do something that taxed his entire.." Misato pauses, thinking of a word. "..Being is the best word to describe it."

Ritsuko becomes silent. "What would you have me tell you, Misato?"

"The TRUTH, maybe." Misato grumbles. "I thought this whole secretive bullshit was all and done with Ritsuko. Now talk."

Ritsuko looks around cautiously. "Commander Ikari knows and informed me not to tell you but...I'm sorry, I can't. However, I'll tell you this, even though it's sort of off topic. Hikari has been bringing Toji some lunch for school, so I guess she is a bringer of light to his day." she voice is amused.

Misato looks like she is about to comment but stops, smiling faintly. "Yeah, Toji is lucking having Hikari being the 'bringer' of his lunch." she states calmly, understanding what Ritsuko is trying to tell her. She leaves the room and thinks to herself. 'So, the secret is in the data she secretly sent me. Not only that, she was nice enough to tell me the password. She was right, it is ridiculously simple. Hikari's name in English means 'Light', and she is the 'bringer' of his lunch.' She smirks to herself. 'So simple yet so clever. I wonder who came up with the password.'

* * *

One Week Later.

SEELE 01: Yet another failure it seems.

SEELE 02: True, but this time Unit 06 was heavily damaged, and the Pilot of Unit 04 is in a coma.

SEELE 06: It was still a failure. Nerv has just recently finished repairing Units 03 and 05. Now Units 00, 01, 03, and 05 are battle ready.

SEELE 09: Units 02 and 04 are also usable if necessary.

SEELE 10: Unit 04 has no Pilot currently though.

SEELE 01: Ikari could use the Seventh Child to pilot Unit 04 if necessary.

SEELE 03: True...but she wouldn't be as effective as she would be in Unit 06, if she is able to sync at all. Unit 02 is damaged, so Ikari won't use it unless forced.

SEELE 02: Our benefactor wasn't a total failure. With the Pilot of Unit 04 in his current situation, the Seventh Child will be unable to pilot efficiently.

SEELE 01: Correct. Our benefactor is currently deciding what his next move will be.

* * *

To say that Chivalt was amused about the failure of the Second Crimson Angel would be a lie. He slams his fist into the table, but despite the obvious force he uses, he doesn't manage to damage it at all. "That bastard was a complete FAILURE!" he snarls, "What the FUCK was he DOING out there?"

"Calm down, Chivalt." Darvin's old voice snaps at him. "Complaining won't solve anything."

"Shut it, old man." he replies flatly.

Darvin glares at him and is about to retort, but the young man at the head of the table speaks first. "Enough out of both of you." They become quiet instantly, the young man continues. "Now, we know two of our 'messengers' have failed. We have used up two out of the twelve reawakening stones our Master provided us. The question is who we send out next."

"Why don't we just end it by doing this ourselves?" Shalock demanded in his childish voice.

"Because it isn't necessary." Chivalt responds in a flat voice, "Why send a giant to squish an ant?"

"I wasn't talking to you, Chivalt." he replies angrily, "And don't preach your garbage about honor and fair fights to me."

"Watch your tongue, boy." he says ominously, "I could easily cleave you in two." He grasps his sword from under his cloak.

"That's if I let you, Chivalt." Shadows consolidate around Shalock's small body.

The potential for a confrontation hangs in the air for a minute, but then the shadows disappear and Chivalt lets go of his sword. The young man at the head of the table has an annoyed look. "I've decided to sent Centuron." he says in a flat voice. "If you have a problem, then say so." There is absolute silence. "Very well, you are dismissed." He vanishes.

* * *

"When can I get out of this bed?" Asuka demanded to Shinji. She has multiple minor burns from the Second Crimson Angel's lightning. "I'm sick of being in this damn hospital room."

"Sorry." Shinji replies softly.

"I don't want an apology, baka!" Asuka snapped, "I thought the stupid 'I'm sorry' horseshit was DONE with!"

"So-" Shinji says but stops. "I'm not sure when they'll let you out. Doctor Akagi should be here to give you a checkup soon."

"Well, speak of the devil." Asuka remarks as Ritsuko enters the room.

Ritsuko ignores that and looks at Shinji. "Hello, Shinji. Can you wait outside?" Shinji looks confused, so Ritsuko explains. "I'm going to check her burns and you don't need to see where some of them are." she remarks in an amused voice.

Shinji blushes and quickly leaves the room. "If you peek, I'll kill you." Asuka threatens Shinji as he closes the door.

Ritsuko begins checking her wounds. "You are healing fast, Asuka."

"Of course." she replies, "I'm stronger than that idiot who ends up in this hospital on a regular basis."

"That isn't very nice, Asuka." Ritsuko chides her. "His sync ratio is higher than yours right now, and he isn't in the hospital as often as he used to be."

Asuka snorts. "Not for long. I'm going to beat him." she pauses. "When can I get out of this damned hospital room?" she demands.

"Soon. I want to make sure there are no side effects from the electricity."

Asuka stays silent. "How's Sarah?" she asks calmly.

"She could be better. Her burns are quite a bit more severe than yours, she won't be able to move much." Ritsuko frowns, "She managed to get from her room to Patrick's the first day she was admitted, though. So for the sake of her health, I put her into the same room as him."

"How is he, anyways?" Asuka asks curiously.

"He's in a coma right now. At least, that's what I think. He won't wake up, even though there is nothing physically preventing him." Ritsuko's voice is slightly baffled.

"...How did Sarah take it?"

"Well, to say she was unhappy would be an understatement." Ritsuko snorts, "I think she is taking after some of YOUR anger management issues."

"Excuse me?" Asuka's voice has a veiled threat in it.

"Poor choice of words." Ritsuko admitted, "How does 'excessive emotional behavior' sound?" Ritsuko says teasingly, finishing her examination.

"That doesn't sound too much better." Asuka says flatly. She glares at the doorway. "I can hear you out there, Misato."

Misato opens the door and enters. "What's up?"

"The ceiling of this damn hospital room." Asuka replies in an angry voice.

"You're in good humor." Misato remarked. "So Rits, can she be let out yet?"

Ritsuko pauses. "I suppose so. I'd advise not going to school or do anything strenuous for a few days though."

"What am I suppose to do then?" Asuka demanded.

"Read a book or watch TV." Ritsuko shrugs. "I don't care, just don't aggravate your injuries."

Asuka practically jumps out of bed and winces in pain. "Ha! Free of this damn room after a whole week!"

"Great." Misato sighs, "So much for sleeping peacefully."

Ritsuko chuckles as Asuka rushes out of the room, dragging Shinji away towards the exit. "Hurry up, Misato!" she shouts.

"Okay, in a minute." She closes the door, and faces Ritsuko, her expression serious. "Is what I read in the file accurate? And does Commander Ikari know it too?"

Ritsuko nods. "Yes, on both accounts." she replies seriously. "Humans aren't normally meant to do what he did, so that's why he went into a coma. However, the more often and more practice he has with doing this, the less the severity of the side effects." she pauses, "That's what the Magi theorizes, anyways."

Misato sighs. "Does Commander Ikari plan to do anything about him?"

"Surprisingly, no." Ritsuko remarks, "It seems Third Impact changed him, too. He isn't a complete jackass anymore."

"For now." Misato replies. She opens the door, "Seeya later, Rits." she leaves the room.

* * *

"Finally. Home sweet home." Asuka says happily. "I never thought I'd prefer seeing this train wreck of an apartment over that hospital room."

Misato glares at her, not very happy having her apartment insulted. "You heard Ritsuko, Asuka." she replies teasingly. "No strenuous activity. That means no making out with Shinji."

"HEY!" Asuka blushes. "I should comment on how you and Kaji spend your time together! You'd be so loud, the apartment would collapse."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Misato screams at her.

"Umm, what's for dinner?" Shinji asks fearfully.

"Pizza." Misato replies flatly. "You'll need to save your strength to deal with Asuka."

Asuka snorts as Misato calls up the nearest Pizzeria.

* * *

Sarah is sitting on the floor next to Patrick's bed, resting her head on her crossed arms, looking at Patrick sadly, his body no longer hooked up to a life support system, but his body is fed nutrients to keep him alive. 'Jeez, are you trying to make me worry about you...?' she thinks to herself. The door begins to open and she rushes back into her bed, aggravating her chest burns. 'Ouch'

Ritsuko enters the room and looks wearily at Sarah. "Will you PLEASE stop getting out of bed?" she says with some asperity. "I was kind enough to put you in the same room. Now stop making your injuries worse or I'll put you in a room on the opposite side of the hospital with guards watching the door."

Sarah sighs. "Can you at least tell me what happened to him?"

Ritsuko pauses. "I can't tell you everything. You do, however, know about the Eva L.R. Program, right?" Sarah nods and Ritsuko continues. "He overexerted himself during the battle, causing the condition he is in now."

"When will he wake up?"

"I don't know." Ritsuko sighs, "He is improving, however. So I hope he wakes up around the times his physical injuries are healed." she glares at Sarah. "You, however, will have to stay even LONGER if you continue making your injuries worse."

"Can you bring my laptop to this room, please?" Sarah asks, "And a wireless connection?"

"Why?" Ritsuko asks curiously.

"Because I want to talk to my friends overseas, and doing that would keep be occupied." Sarah replies sweetly.

Ritsuko sighs. "Okay, Sarah. I'll have Maya bring it in later." She leaves the room.

* * *

The next day, Asuka decides to visit Sarah at the hospital. She walks down the hospital hallway and is about three doors away when she hears footsteps running towards her from behind. Asuka turns around sharply and sees Maya slowing down, breathing heavily and carrying a suitcase. Asuka looks at her curiously, "What's up, Lt. Ibuki?"

"Ri- I mean, Doctor Akagi asked me to deliver Sarah's laptop to her. The reason was she continued to sneak out of bed to sit next to Patrick instead of resting." Maya responds, catching her breath. "Sarah said she'd stop doing that if we'd bring her laptop to her."

"Why were you running though? Couldn't you just walk here?" Asuka asks. She pauses and just when Maya is about to respond, Asuka cuts her off. "Wait a minute. Why didn't I get brought anything to do when I was practically dying of boredom when I was in this hospital for a week?" Asuka demanded angrily.

"Well," Maya hesitates, "You never asked."

Asuka is about to retort, but stops and laughs to herself. "I suppose you do have a point there." she concedes. "So, are you going to tell me WHY you were running now?"

"Yes. I have a meeting soon so-" she checks her watch. "Oh no! I'm going to be late! Asuka, please bring Sarah's laptop to her." Maya places the suitcase down and runs out the way she came.

Asuka sighs. "I might as well. You dumped this chore onto my lap." She picks it up, heads three doors down and knocks. She hears a faint and brief sound of running, Asuka frowns. "Sarah? It's just me."

"Oh." Sarah's voice says happily from inside the room, "Come on in."

Asuka opens the door and closes it behind her after she enters. She notices almost immediately that Sarah was sitting next to Patrick on his bed because of the covers on his bed. Sarah is lying down in her own bed but there were also blatantly obvious signs the covers were just thrown on. "You were sneaking out of bed again?" Asuka asks curiously.

Sarah frowns, "Who told you about that?"

"Lt. Ibuki. She was delivering your laptop to you." Asuka holds the suitcase up and walks over to Sarah bed with it.

"Finally!" Sarah responds joyfully. "I haven't talked to my friends living in America in weeks."

"Oh, can I watch?"

"Sure." Sarah opens the suitcase and takes out a laptop, and small camera and a microphone. Within two minutes, the laptop is set up on a nearby table with the camera and microphone, as well as wireless Internet connection. "There. Now...lets see." Sarah opens a instant messaging program. There are 43 messages in her email section.

"Wow. Do you have enough friends?" Asuka asks with amazement.

"Not really. Oh, Jessica is on right now. Perfect." Sarah says happily.

"Who?"

"My best friend. We talk about everything together."

"Oh. Should I leave?" Asuka asks, slightly uncomfortable.

"Why would you want to? Besides, I want to introduce you." Sarah frowns. "She only speaks English so I'll put the translator on." She opens a messaging window, turns the camera and microphone on, and begins talking in English. "Hey, Jessica! How have you been?"

"Eh?" The face of a young girl around 15 with short blonde hair and green eyes appears on the monitor. "Oh, hi Sarah! Where have you been, on the Moon?"

"I've been having a busy life. Oh, I'd like you to meet Asuka." Sarah shifts the camera so Asuka is visible.

"Oh, hi there." she says to Asuka. "My name is Jessica. Are you a friend of Sarah's?"

Asuka nods after reading the translation. "Yes, I am."

Jessica's face becomes baffled, "What did she just say?"

"Turn on your translator. She's speaking Japanese." Sarah states calmly.

"EH?" Jessica's face becomes stunned as she turns on the translator, "Where in the world ARE you?"

"In a hospital, if you must know." Sarah responds blandly.

"What did you do THIS time?" Jessica asks curiously. "Get shipped to a hospital with a Japanese speaking roommate?"

"Actually, I'm the pilot of Eva Unit 06."

Jessica becomes silent and then giggles, "Nice joke Sarah. I almost believed you for a second." She looks at Sarah's face and becomes silent again. "You're serious, aren't you..." Sarah nods. "Are you crazy? Even after your boyfriend got killed by-" Jessica stops. "Sorry, I went a bit too far there."

Sarah shrugs, "It's okay. Anyways, how is life going?"

"Forget about ME, what about YOU?" Jessica becomes serious. "I can't believe you actually went through with it. Becoming a Pilot, I mean."

"Yeah." Sarah replies, "It's kinda fun."

"It's fun yet you end up in a hospital." Jessica remarks, "You have an odd definition of fun. Is your motivation really worth it? What's the point now, the Angels are gone, right?"

"Oh." Sarah's face brightens up. "Did you hear about Unit 04 coming here?"

Jessica's face darkens. "Oh, yes. That piece of shit should be in a scrapyard...why are YOU so happy about that murdering thing? You hate it more than I do."

"This is the reason." Sarah smirks and turns the camera to face Patrick's body.

Five seconds of silence pass and then both Sarah and Asuka are blasted with Jessica's voice. "HOLY SHIT! IS HE SERIOUSLY ALIVE? WHAT THE HELL, SARAH?"

"Hey! Don't scream, we're in a hospital." Asuka complains.

"Sorry. But seriously, what the hell?"

"It surprised me too." Sarah replies happily. "By the way, I like your new hair cut."

"Oh, thanks." Jessica replies. She smirks. "Sooooo, did you tell Patrick how you feel yet?"

Sarah blushes. "Well, umm, sort of. I didn't TELL him per say..."

"You wrote him a love letter or something?" Jessica looks curious.

"NO! I, err... Oh it's sort of embarrassing..." Sarah replies softly.

"She kissed him on the lips." Asuka says to Jessica.

"ASUKA!" Sarah blushes, "You didn't need to tell her that!"

"NO WAY! You actually KISSED HIM?" Jessica's face is astonished as she reads the translation of Asuka's words. "Talk about bold, girl! Well, how'd it go?"

"Well, I'll start at the beginning." Sarah starts telling her the story. From her arrival, to her first battle, and finally the kiss and Misato's interruption before she could confirm it.

"This 'Misato' sounds like a hyped up teenager rather than an adult." Jessica remarks after Sarah finishes. "She ALSO knows how to kill the perfect romantic moment."

Asuka laughs, "I'd have to agree with that." Before Jessica can respond, the Nerv alarm begins to sound.

Speaker: "A Level 2 Alert is in effect. All Nerv personnel report to your battle stations. Any civilians are to report to your nearest shelter immediately. I repeat..."

"Eh? A WHAT Alert?" Jessica looks confused.

"Sorry Jessica." Sarah says softly, "I'll get back to you later."

"Hey! Wai-" Jessica begins to say but the connection is cut off by Sarah.

"Wasn't that a bit rude?" Asuka remarks.

Sarah shrugs. "I suppose so, but chances are that another of those 'Crimson Angels' are here again. I'd rather not die sitting here when I could do something."

"But Unit 06 is too damaged to pilot." Asuka points out.

Sarah shrugs, "I'm sure I could do something else then." She gets out of the bed and winces. "Lets go."

Asuka nods, "Right." Both of them walk to Nerv HQ. It isn't too far away from where they were, the Nerv recovery hospital.

* * *

Misato rushes in the control room. Everyone else is already at their battle stations, Ritsuko glances at her. "Took you long enough, Major Katsuragi."

"Sorry, I had to drive from the store to the apartment to get Shinji." Misato apologizes.

"Very well." Ritsuko looks at the main screen. A centaur-like creature wearing armor is on the screen, location near the edge of the city. In its hands it has a lance that looks like the type medieval knights in Europe used and also has a large circular shield with a red upside down star on it. Ritsuko frowns, "It almost looks like a knight."

"A what?" Misato looks baffled. "Never mind, you can tell me after it's dead."

Ritsuko looks at the current status of the Eva Units. "Units 00, 01, 03 and 05 can be used. Units 02 and 04 can be used too but I'd advise avoiding it."

"Ritsuko, Unit 04's pilot is in a coma." Misato points out. "Who'd pilot it?"

"The Seventh Child could try. I doubt she could sync with it well but we may not have much choice."

Misato sighs. "Why do we have to force kids to do this?" she asks herself sadly.

"Launch Units 00, 01, 03 and 05." Gendo orders, "Put Units 02 and 04 on standby and will be used only if necessary."

"Right." Misato replies, "You heard him, launch the Evas."

* * *

"Finally, I can pilot an Eva again." Kensuke cheers. "So, what's the target, Major Katsuragi?"

"Just 'Misato' is okay, Kensuke." Misato says in an amused voice. "As for the target, it looks like a 'cintaros' or something like that."

"A centaur?" Sarah replies curiously. Misato nods. "Wait, does it have a medieval style lance and a circular shield?"

Misato looks baffled, "How'd you know that?"

"I was stuck reading a medieval story with a similar character in it. Whoever this enemy is has a bad taste in literature. The story was horrid." Sarah remarks, shuddering.

Misato looks annoyed. "How does that help us at all?"

"Maybe it has similar abilities as the character in the book." Sarah shrugs.

"Like what?" Misato demanded.

Sarah frowns. "Not sure. I tend to forget stories that suck. I'm sure that its lance could pierce a magic barrier and its shield could absorb magic." Sarah notices the silence, broken by a few soft laughs and giggles from the control room. "HEY! I only read it cause it was a school assignment in 2nd grade!"

"We get it." Misato's face is amused. "We will take these 'magical' abilities into account with making a strategy."

"That isn't funny, you Kaji-obsessed pervert!" Sarah snaps.

Misato glares angrily at her but Ritsuko cuts off the potential argument. "Enough! Attack with caution until we determine its abilities. Now move out."

* * *

The Eva Units reach the surface near the edge of the city. Unit 00 grabs a Positron Rifle and moves deeper into the city, looking for a good sniping point. Unit 01 grabs a Prog. Sword, moving out to confront the target. Unit 03 grabs a rocket launcher and follows Unit 01 out of the city. Unit 05 grabs a machine gun and walks to the edge of the city and waits. Units 01 and 03 stand in front of the creature, it stops.

"...I see. You are Shinji Ikari, huh?" A calm voice says. "You aren't quite what I expected."

Shinji blinks. "W-Who are you?"

"My name is Centuron. I am what you call a 'Crimson Angel', though the term isn't very accurate. We are far from angelic." The voice resonates inside his cockpit but the control room doesn't hear or record it.

"W-What do you mean?" Shinji asks.

"I am the one standing in front of you." The voice says, faintly amused. "I am somewhat different from my 'brethren' as you call them. I have a sense of decency and honor, similar to the one I admire."

Shinji looks confused. "You aren't making any sense."

"Ah, I should explain at the beginning then, but that would take too long. I do have a job to do after all. Failure isn't tolerated by my Master." The centaur-like creature braces his shield and charges straight at Unit 01. Unit 03 fires a rocket at it but it is blocked by its AT Field. Unit 01 raises its AT Field to block the Crimson Angel's charge and succeeds for a few seconds, but the lance slowly penetrates the AT Field and heads straight for Unit 01's Core. Unit 01 is tackled to the ground by Unit 03, causing the creature to miss and charge past them. Unit 00 fires her Positron Rifle at the target. It smirks and raises its shield, which is glowing faintly. The energy blast is blocked and absorbed into the shield. Suddenly, the red star on it glows with a crimson colored aura.

* * *

"What the hell is that?" Misato demands.

"Sir, the Magi say with a 93.7% certainty that the target's shield absorbed the energy from the Positron Rifle shot." Maya reports.

"Sir!" Hyuga reports, "We're detecting a high energy buildup in the targets shield!"

"What?" Misato looks stunned.

* * *

The shield fires a huge burst of crimson light, blasting through multiple buildings and hitting Unit 00 before it can react. Unit 00 is blasted into a building behind her, going offline. Unit 05 fires a barrage of bullets at the enemy but it blocks them with its AT Field. It's Lance glows with a crimson aura and he fires black lightning at Unit 05, it barely manages to dodge it and hide behind the nearby building for cover. Unit 03 jumps onto the creatures back, it tries to throw him off but Unit 03 keeps holding into him.

"What an ass." Asuka comments scathingly as she watches the battle from Unit 02, "This isn't a rodeo, stooge!"

"Shove it." Toji grunts, deploying Unit 03's AT Field to cancel out the targets AT Field.

Unit 05 charges out, drawing its Prog. Knife from its shoulder and stabs it in the chest before it can react, breaking through the armor. It roars in pain, trying to slam its lance into Unit 05 but Unit 01 grabs its arm and stops it from hitting Unit 05. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME, BRATS!" The creature roars with malice, his voice now clearly noticed by everyone else. Centuron surrounding itself in a crimson aura, blasting all three of them away with great force.

* * *

"Shit! All three of them are down!" Misato says angrily, her face concerned.

"Launch Unit 02." Ritsuko orders, "What's Sarah's sync with Unit 04?"

"Only 23 sync ratio" Maya reports.

Ritsuko sighs, "So, she can at least move it. Send her out, then."

"Sir!" Hyuga reports, "Units 01 and 03 are still online."

Misato breathes a sigh of relief. "We don't need to send out Units 02 and 04 yet."

"Very well." Ritsuko replies. "But if we lose either Unit 01 or 03, they both are being launched."

* * *

"Ouch..." Toji mutters. "That hurt a lot..."

"You okay?" Misato's voice asks both Toji and Shinji.

"Yes, Misato." Shinji replies, his voice tired.

"I've felt better." Toji grunts. "Lets go Shinji."

"Right."

Unit 03 charges straight at Centuron. He smirks and stabs his lance straight at Unit 03 but Toji predicted he'd do that and sidesteps it, grabbing the lance and slamming it into the ground and holding it there. Unit 01, who was completely unnoticed charging behind Toji, jumps over Unit 03 and slashes his Prog. Sword down. Centuron twists his hand holding his lance and pulls a sword out of the lance, blocking the attack. He slams his shield into Unit 03, knocking him away. He jumps back and slashes down at Unit 01 but Shinji blocks it with his Prog. Sword. He uses his other hand to draw his Prog. Knife from the shoulder and throws it at Centuron's head, but he uses his shield to block it. This blocks his vision momentarily, Unit 01 lets Centuron's sword slam down towards him, sidestepping it and kicking the Crimson Angel's shield out of his hand.

"...Impressive." He notes calmly, jumping back. "I've underestimated you, Shinji Ikari. However, I will not make the same mistake twice." The creature point his lance at Unit 01, the lance surrounded by a crimson aura. "Die." It fires the same black lightning it tried to use on Unit 05 earlier, heading straight for Unit 01 this time. Suddenly, Unit 03 appears between them.

"I remember that your shield absorbed Rei's laser and shot it back." Toji remarks. "So, I wonder what would happen if it absorbed your own lightning." Unit 03 is holding the Crimson Angel's shield, completely blocking and absorbing the black lightning it fired. It glows brightly from the absorbed attack.

"...I was outsmarted by a child." He sighs, "How pathetic." The shield fires a huge blast of crimson light at him. He attempts to use his AT Field to block it but fails to stop it, his lower body is completely incinerated by the attack. The shield breaks from the amount of power released, turning into ashes. Centuron's body begins to burn into ashes. "...You won, huh..." he says softly, "Well, I guess I should tell you something as thanks for such an interesting battle."

It breathes in and out slowly, then continues. "You see, the two 'Crimson Angels' you fought, as well as myself, were merely reawakened by my Lord but using our Master's Reawakening Shards. He gave my Lord 12, but now he has 9 left. If he runs out, him, along with four others, will fight you personally." he chuckles, "They are on a completely different level. Underestimating them will be fatal."

"Wait." Shinji says, "Why are you even fighting us, what are you after?"

"We are after-" Centuron begins to say, but his head is pierced by a copy of the Lance of Longinous usually used by the Eva Series.

A figure dressed in black hovers where the spear was thrown, glancing down at Centuron. "You dare betray me, Centuron?" the young man asks calmly. "You dare betray our Master?" Centuron remains silent, the Lance preventing him from doing anything else as the last of his body burns down to ashes. The Lance vanishes after the last of his body turns to ash. "Though, I suppose it is a bit hard to talk with a Lance in your mouth."

Unit 03 grabs the lance section of Centuron's weapon and throws it at him. He creates a wall of fire the incinerates it before it reaches him. Unit 01 grabs Centuron's sword and, with both his and Centuron's sword, slashes at the figure. He blocks with an AT Field. Then making a slight gesture with his hand, shatters both swords completely. "Nice try, boy. However, you aren't worth my time." he vanishes.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Misato demanded.

"The Magi confirmed the being had a Crimson Waveform Pattern." Maya reports. "It's AT Field strength is even greater than the 17th Angel's AT Field, it seems."

Gendo frowns slightly. "I see. Retrieve the Evas immediately, I must inform the U.N. of the seriousness of the situation." Commander Ikari leaves the room.

* * *

A/N: Thus the chapter is finished after much typing. This is the second longest chapter to date, oh well...only about 400 words away. Anyways, see you next time.

Read and Review!


	10. The UN Meeting

A/N: I was somewhat pleased on how that chapter went. Now that you have more information on what this 'new threat' is, lets take a break from the action, shall we? After all, a story with no funny parts and just action with no information is a waste. Sorry, I'm rambling here, on to the show! (sort of...)

Disclaimer: By now, it's kinda obvious I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. I say it because, well, I don't want people going after me about it.

Minor Spoiler: So far, just 4 reviews. I'm kinda sad that I have over double the number of chapters compared to the reviews. The spoiler today is...nothing. From now on, I'll let you figure stuff out on your own, readers.

A/A/N: No, I don't know how the U.N. REALLY works. Also, you probably noticed I changed the location of meeting.

* * *

The United Nations Security Council, or the UNSC, meets three days later in London, located in the United Kingdom (UK). The room is shaped like a half circle, large desks also in a semi-circle around the main table where the five superpowers sit. There is a raised platform at the end of the room with the desk and chair of the Secretary-General. Representatives from many of the worlds nations are gathered here, even the five superpowers, America, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China, are present. There is a great deal of discussion amongst the members in small groups until the Secretary-General arrives.

The Secretary-General is a older man in his 50s with grayish hair. He sits down in his chair and begins speaking into his microphone that is on the desk. "May I have your attention?" Everyone in the room becomes silent in a matter of seconds. "Thank you. Please take your seats so we can begin this meeting."

"Sir." The representative of France says calmly, a woman in her thirties. "Why have you called an emergency meeting so suddenly like this?"

"That is what we are here to discuss." The Secretary-General replies. "First, however, I'll start with a summary of recent events or those of you who have been living on the Moon." Some of the people chuckle at that. "As most of you know, SEELE used us to fund Nerv for their own desires and try to bring about Third Impact."

"Why is Nerv still active?" The representative of Vietnam demands, an older man in his 40s. "They can't be trusted, considering they were SEELE's main tool for creating Third Impact to begin with."

"You forget yourself." The representative of China remarks in an flat voice, "Nerv is the only thing that can counter SEELE and their Eva Series. I'm guess you were one of the people living on the Moon during our first meeting." That comment causes some people to chuckle while the Vietnam representative remains silent.

"Continuing my summary of recent event," the Secretary-General continues, "About two weeks after Third Impact, Nerv acquired Eva Units 05 and 06. Thankfully, this was a wise course of action, as SEELE sent an Eva to attack the main Nerv Branch in Japan. The two new pilots, along with the pilot of Unit 01, successfully defeated the Eva sent by SEELE."

"Not surprised." The representative from the United Kingdom remarks. "Ikari knows how to think on his feet in tense situations."

"Three weeks following the incident, SEELE sent out twelve Eva Series Units." Some of the members of the U.N. muttered about this briefly, but before they could openly state their trouble with this issue, the representative of the U.S. clears his throat the speak. The Secretary-General looks at him. "You may speak, U.S. representative."

The U.S. representative, a man with blonde hair and in his early 30s, stands up. "There is a few issues with this. Let's state the facts, shall we?" He turns around to face the assembly. "First, SEELE would need a massive amount of funding for the construction of a single Evangelion Unit, let alone twelve. Agreed?" Many in the assembly nod in agreement. He continues, "At first, they used us for their funding. They are now internationally wanted criminals, however. Even if they found some terrorist group to assist them, they wouldn't have the resources to recreate the Eva Series. Their first Eva sent reflected how much power they truly had left, according the Minister of Economics." He pauses and glances briefly at the Secretary-General. "The resources needed to make Evangelion Units is also an issue, and where they could create them without being noticed. It is entirely possible a third-world country could hide the base, but it would be unable to supply the resources, as I stated earlier. So the question is this, who exactly is funding them?"

There is complete silence in the room. "You may be seated, U.S. representative." The Secretary-General states calmly, he takes his seat. The Secretary-General looks at the assembly calmly. "The question he poses is quite chilling. SEELE has either stumbled across a gold mine," he states with a faintly humorous voice, which causes a chuckle in the assembly. "Or, someone in this room is secretly funding them." he finishes in a flat voice, the room immediately going silent. "Many are wondering why I called this emergency meeting, just to state the obvious yet again. This is because we have a new threat on the horizon, so to speak. A first hand witness of this new threat has come here to inform us all about it and its possible connection to SEELE. He is the one who requested this emergency meeting to speak to you about it." A buzz of amazement goes around the room but is immediately silenced by the Secretary-General's voice. "Therefore, rather than sending a representative to tell us this, he has come in person. Come in, Supreme Commander of Nerv, Gendo Ikari."

A gasps of surprise echoes in the room as Gendo Ikari enters the assembly hall from the far side of the room with Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, heads swerve to see them enter. The representative of Vietnam rises to his feet. "You dare come here in person, Ikari?" he demanded. Gendo glares at him, causes him to flinch and become silent.

"Take your seat." The Secretary-General says flatly to the Vietnam representative. He wisely decides to sit back down. Gendo and Fuyutsuki walk up to the stage where the Secretary-General sits. He stands up and shakes Gendo's hand. "It has been awhile, Commander Ikari." he comments.

"Indeed." Gendo replies in a monotone voice. He turns around and faces the assembly. "I shall begin where the Secretary-General has left off at." A large screen descends from the roof, the lights dimming. "Shortly after the attack by SEELE's Eva Series, Nerv HQ in Japan was attacked by a being with a Crimson Waveform Pattern. We have chosen to name it a 'Crimson Angel'."

* * *

"So…where are the Commanders?" Misato asks Ritsuko. They are both in the secondary commander center, overlooking the construction of two new Eva Simulation Entry Plugs.

"In London, planning to inform the U.N. about the situation." Ritsuko responds calmly.

Misato becomes silent. "...Tell me what those things are."

Ritsuko sighs, "Commander Ikari-"

"That excuse won't work, Rits." Misato cuts her off. "Both Commanders are away and can't force you to STAY quiet. Now talk."

Ritsuko takes out a data disk from her lab coat pocket and hands it to Misato. "I already knew you'd ask and make this kind of argument. He told me not to TELL you anything, but he didn't say I couldn't give you the truth on a disk and say nothing."

Misato takes the data disk and puts it away. "Is there a password to this one, too?"

"No. I saw no point to it." Ritsuko leans back against a nearby wall. "You won't like the truth, Misato."

"I don't have to like it." Misato responds, "I just have to understand it. Thanks, Ritsuko."

She shrugs, "It isn't a problem. Commander Ikari planned to inform you about everything after he came back anyways."

"What?" Misato looks startled, "He actually planned to tell the truth for once?" Ritsuko nods. "Did Fifth Impact happen when I wasn't looking?"

Ritsuko chuckles. "Not likely. By the way, not say 'Fourth Impact'?"

"Rei showing emotion caused that, I think." Misato replies.

Ritsuko blinks. "She what?"

"You remember when I was teasing Asuka and Sarah during the Second Crimson Angel?"

"Yes, I clearly remember their reactions. It was kind of amusing."

"Rei thought so too, she actually smiled and LOOKED amused by it." Misato looks slightly troubled.

Ritsuko becomes quiet. "...I'll do an examination on her ASAP."

"Speaking of examinations." Misato continues, "How's Patrick?"

"He hasn't woken up but his wounds have fully healed. Chances are, he'll wake up within a day or two-" Her cellphone rings. "Hold that thought." She picks it up, "Hello? Yes...WHAT? He woke up? Okay, I'll head there right now, Maya." Ritsuko hangs up and looks at Misato. "It looks like Patrick just woke up. Sarah is making a big deal out of it, unfortunately."

Misato smiles faintly. "I'd imagine she is. Lets go."

* * *

Misato and Ritsuko hear loud noises as the approach the room where Patrick is staying. They quickly open the door and see Maya as far away as possible from Patrick and Sarah, who are busy yelling at each other.

"WERE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED OUT THERE?" Sarah screams at him.

"Stop exaggerating the danger, already! You're nothing but a drama queen when stuff like this happens. Lighten up!" Patrick retorts.

"EXCUSE-" Sarah begins but is cut off by a louder voice.

"GROW THE FUCK UP!" Misato snarls. The room becomes absolutely silent, "What the hell, Sarah? Aren't you happy he's awake?"

"Of course I am." Sarah replies in a level tone of voice. "But he wouldn't have been in a coma if he hadn't been so damn reckless!"

"You are one to talk." Patrick shot back. "You went into the water after that thing, where it can fight at its full potential. That's not just reckless, it's stupid."

"Do I need to lock you two in a room together?" Misato demanded. Both of the blush and look away. "Much better. Now, Ritsuko has to do an examination of Patrick so everyone leaves the room. So no seeing your boyfriend naked, Sarah." she says teasingly. "Wait until marriage until you even think about stuff like that."

"You're one to talk, hypocrite!" Sarah snapped, "Your relationship with Kaji is sick and disgusting."

Misato glares at her, but Ritsuko chuckles at her statement, "She has a point there. You are being hypocritical."

Misato storms out of the room, Sarah and Maya following her. Patrick sighs, "Are all girls like this?"

"No, just the ones that care about you." Ritsuko states blandly.

Patrick blushes, remembering the kiss Sarah gave him. 'I guess she does feel the same way about me.'

* * *

"This is the biggest load of horseshit I've ever heard, Ikari." The representative of Germany says angrily. "You're implying these things are demons, and that SEELE would actually associate with them."

"I must agreed." The Russian representative concludes, "It is a bit too much to swallow."

"I imply nothing." Gendo states calmly. "I'm merely stating the facts, the truth."

The Vietnam representative laughs openly. "The truth? We'd have to be crazy to trust your word, Ikari."

"You have seen the Magi recording with your own eyes and the documents found identifying these creatures." Gendo replies calmly. "You are free to believe what you wish. I am merely reporting the facts, not my personal opinions."

The room becomes silent, then the US Representative rises to his feet. "I'll be the first to agree that is was hard to swallow during the recordings, however the documents put everything together. There was no evidence of fake recordings either. I'll accept it as genuine and that you are telling the truth." Many of the people nod at this statement.

"Ha! Trying to point out the obvious yet again, Aaron?" The representative from Mexico replies, glaring at the U.S. representative. "Your just trying to look smart in front of the other nations." The U.S. representative glares at the man, ignoring some of the chuckles directed at him in the room.

"Thank you, Commander Ikari." The Secretary-General states calmly, "You may take a seat in the observation balcony."

"Very well." Gendo and Fuyutsuki walk up to the side of the room and up the stairway.

"Now, we all here agree that this is a threat to the world's security, just as the Angels were. Correct?" Everyone nods, some hesitantly. "Good, we will support Nerv's funding until this new threat is resolved. The Nerv bases in Russia will focus on the development for Eva-Based weapons. The Nerv bases in France will focus on the development of better Armor of the Evas. Finally, the Nerv bases in Germany, China, and the United States will develop S2 Engines for the rest of Nerv's Evas. Agreed?"

"Agreed." The representatives from the U.S., Russia, China, Germany and France reply, some of them were hesitant however.

"Very well, you are all dismissed." The Secretary-General replies calmly.

* * *

"Home sweet home." Misato shouts cheerfully as she enters the apartment. Shinji and Asuka are already home from school.

"Keep it down, Misato." Asuka's annoyed voice comes from the living room. "SOME of us have work to do."

"Oh, like what?"

"Homework." Asuka replies shortly. She looks at Sarah and Patrick, "Geez, were you two in the hospital long enough? I'll have to catch you both up on the schoolwork."

Patrick raises an eyebrow. "Both of us?"

Misato looks at him, "Yep, you are going to the same school these three are."

"I already graduated high school though." Patrick reminds her.

"So? Asuka graduated COLLEGE already." Misato says blandly.

Patrick looks surprised, "Then why is she stuck going to school?"

"Because I'm not looking after her 24/7."

"I don't need a babysitter, Misato." Asuka snaps at her.

"Really? If I left you alone with Shinji, certain things might happen that Ikari would kill me for." she pauses. "What happened that one night I went out with Kaji drinking before Third Impact anyways?" Misato asks curiously.

Asuka blushes, remembering the kiss back then. "Nothing!"

"Really?" Misato looks amused, "Then why are you blushing? Did you two kiss?"

"Shutup, Misato!" Asuka shouts. "I don't go asking details about your messed up love life with Kaji! You two should be ashamed of yourselves, going after each other like a pair of animals."

"EXCUSE ME?" Misato screams angrily at her.

"Enough!" Patrick complains, "Can't you all just get along here?"

"Seriously!" Sarah agrees, clinging onto Patrick's arm, causing him to blush. "I'm sure even Shinji agrees with us."

Shinji nods. "The fighting is kind of-" he hesitates as Asuka glares at him but continues. "-Stupid and ridiculous."

That comment was not well received by Asuka or Misato. "Mind your own business!" both of them snap at Shinji.

The phone rings. Misato sighs, goes over and picks it up. "Hello, Katsuragi Residence." She manages to say it in a level tone.

"Hello, Misato." Ritsuko's voice is heard in the phone.

"Oh, hi Rits. Did you forget something?"

"Yes. Or actually, it was sudden."

"Can you get to the point, Ritsuko?" Misato sounds faintly annoyed.

"Well...I have good news and bad news." Ritsuko was obviously stalling.

Misato sighs. "Might as well give me the bad news first."

"Well...Rei's apartment complex burned down, and so since there is no other place for her to stay..." Ritsuko's voice is hesitant.

"No." Misato's flat reply is heard.

"Pardon me?"

"I have no more room. Don't even THINK about dropping Rei here too."

"What? NO WAY Wondergirl is staying here!" Asuka snaps.

"Shutup, Asuka." Misato retorts, shutting Asuka up immediately. "You heard Ritsuko, she isn't welcome...and I DON'T HAVE ANY FRICKIN ROOM!"

"Do you want the good news now?" Ritsuko asks flatly.

"If the good news means you were joking, go ahead."

"Patrick and Sarah will be taken care by someone else, so you'll have less hassle."

"...Thank you, Ritsuko." Misato says cheerfully. "Who will be taking care of them?"

"Patrick's caretaker after his mother died. Sort of like the roll you play for Shinji and Asuka."

"Finally, someone I can relate to." Misato says brightly. "When will they be moving?"

"Patrick's caretaker should be there any second now."

The door bell rings. "Sounds like she's here." Misato remarks, "Bye Rits." she hangs up. Misato walks over and opens the door. A young woman in her mid-twenties is standing there, wearing casual clothing. Her eyes are a bluish-green color, she has long light-blonde hair, and a slim figure. "Hello there, I'm Misato Katsuragi." Misato holds her hand out.

"Oh, hello." the young woman replies, shaking Misato's hand. "I'm Serena Luminaire. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Are you related to Patrick, Serena?" Misato asks curiously.

She nods. "I'm his cousin, actually. After his mother died, I decided to take care of him."

"Serena!" Patrick rushes out and hugs her. "I've missed you."

"Me too." Serena hugs Patrick back. "Oh, hello Sarah." she says cheerfully.

"Hi, Serena." Sarah replies happily. "It's been awhile, huh?"

"Yeah." Serena replies. "I'm here to take care of both of you. Just so Misato here isn't tearing her hair out dealing with the two of you." she states blandly.

"Speaking of which." Misato remarks, cutting off a potential fight. "You two should get your things ready."

Sarah sighs and goes into Asuka's room to grab her belongings, Patrick goes inside Shinji's room to gather his belongings too. Five minutes later they are all ready. Misato looks curiously at Serena, "So where will you guys be staying?"

"Not far at all." Serena states blandly. She walks to the next apartment door and unlocks it with her key. She walks in with Sarah and Patrick behind her.

Misato sweatdrops. "Yeah, that figures."

* * *

"Okay, you two." Serena says cheerfully. The apartment is almost identical to Misato's, except there is absolutely no messes and no special freezer room for Pen Pen. "You will both sleep in SEPARATE rooms." her tone is firm. "I'm not letting EITHER of you be alone in a bedroom together, especially considering the fact I know how you two feel about each other." Both of them blush at this. "Now, I have very good hearing, so I will be able to tell if you try it. Understood?" Both of them nod. "Good, so what do you want for supper tonight?"

"I vote pizza." Patrick replies calmly.

"I second that." Sarah says cheerfully.

Serena sighs, looking into her wallet. "Okay, pizza it is." She walks over to phone to order some pizza. "What kind do you want?"

"Cheese." Patrick says.

"Pepperoni." Sarah replies.

"Cheese." he repeats in a firm voice.

"Pepperoni." Sarah says flatly, her expression getting annoyed.

Serena sighs. "How about pepperoni and cheese?"

"Okay." Patrick and Sarah reply at the same time, causing them both to blush faintly.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Misato gets another visitor knocking on her door. Rei Ayanami. "Oh, hi Rei."

"Hello, Major Katsuragi." Rei's monotone response is heard. "I was informed that I will be staying here from now on."

"Yep, come on in." Misato replies cheerfully. Rei enters and walks into the living room. Asuka and Shinji are also there, not fighting over what to watch on T.V.

Asuka turns around. "Wha- Why are you hear, Wondergirl?" Asuka demanded.

"I was informed that I would be living in the Katsuragi Residence." she replies calmly.

"Now, Asuka." Misato says as she enters the living room, cutting off Asuka before she can comment. "She'll be staying with you in your room."

"Not likely." Asuka replies in a flinty voice.

"Okay." Misato's voice is faintly amused. "It's either you and Rei share a room, or YOU are sleeping with Shinji in his room."

"Fine. She can stay in my room with me." Asuka states flatly, her cheeks red from Misato's remark.

"Okay, Shinji." Misato says cheerfully. "What's for dinner?"

"You didn't go to the store to buy any ingredients, Misato." Shinji reminds her, his cheeks also red from Misato's earlier suggestion.

Misato sweatdrops. "Anyone for pizza?"

* * *

"Yummy." Sarah comments after she finishes her pieces of pizza.

"Yeah." Patrick agrees.

"I guess it was okay." Serena says calmly. "I'd still prefer the pizza made in America, though." Serena stands up and stretches. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to call it a night. You two better not stay up too long." Serena smirks as she enters her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Well..." Patrick sounds a bit nervous, trying to avoid looking at Sarah. "I'd better head to bed too."

"Wait." Sarah grabs his arm and pulls him towards her, causing him to be pulled right in front of her. Sarah hugs him tightly, both of them blushing at the physical contact. "Misato interrupted us before I could ask..." Sarah hesitates. "Do you...Are you in love with me?" she finally manages to blurt out, blushing. "Because...for awhile, I've been in love with you...so if you feel the same way, please tell-" Sarah is interrupted before she can finish. Patrick is kissing her on the lips! 'Holy shit...' Sarah thinks to herself. 'Talk about bold...but I guess that answers my question...' Sarah deepens the kiss, running her hand though his hair.

They both break away from each other after a minute, blushing. "Err...I guess...we should head to bed." Sarah suggests, still blushing. "Would you like to sleep in my room with me?"

Patrick hesitates, still slightly red. "I don't...think that would be a good idea. You know how Serena is about things like that."

"How is she going to find out." Sarah says blandly.

Patrick sighs, "Sorry, but I'm not going to get in trouble, despite how much I-" he blushes. "Anyways, see you in the morning." He quickly walks into his room and locks the door behind him after he enters.

Sarah sighs, "Spoilsport. I wasn't going to suggest we-" she blushes, 'Oh great,' she thinks to herself. 'Now I can't stop thinking about how much I want to- wait, stop thinking about that! We are too young to be doing that sort of thing but…' Sarah shakes her head, trying to clear it as she walks into her, planning to get some sleep.

Serena, who didn't close her door completely, was watching the entire scene through the crack in the doorway. 'Took them long enough to admit their feelings. Anyways, I'm sure I can trust them on not going too far in their relationship, so I guess I can get some sleep.'

* * *

"Okay, Wondergirl." Asuka says flatly, both of them getting ready for bed. "These are the rules. No touching my things, no snoring, and absolutely no bugging me. Got it?"

"Understood, Second Child." Rei replies in a monotone voice.

Asuka snorts at Rei's emotionless reply and lays down in her bed, turning the light off. Rei lays down on the spare bed quietly.

"...Why did you get sent here anyways, Wondergirl?" Asuka asks. "I'm sure there are plenty of other places they could have put you instead."

"...Quite simple, Second Child." Rei responds calmly, "I felt that if I started to live with you and Shinji, as well as Major Katsuragi, I can begin to understand how to be more human."

"...That made no sense, Wondergirl." Asuka says flatly. "What does that even mean?"

"...I see. I am unsure how to express this any simpler. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to explain this in a way you can understand."

"Are you calling me stupid?" Asuka says angrily.

"I am not." Rei calmly responds. "I merely stated that I cannot find the words to properly explain it in a way for others to understand it."

"Oh..." Asuka frowns, "I guess that makes sense. Is it like trying to describe a color to a person who has been blind since birth?"

"...That example is satisfactory in explaining why I cannot describe my reason for choosing to stay here. Perhaps I will find the words that can explain it."

Asuka shrugs, "You are really strange sometimes, Rei."

Rei smiles faintly, "I suppose I am, aren't I? Good night, Asuka."

Asuka blinks in surprise, actually hearing some emotion in her voice. 'Did Fourth Impact happen or something? I thought she was a emotionless robot.' She shrugs and falls asleep.

* * *

"Hello, my name is Patrick Luminaire. I am pleased to meet you all." Patrick says calmly, introducing himself to the class the next day.

"Wow, he's kinda cute." A girl in the class whispers.

"Seriously." another girl agrees. "But Toji looks more handsome."

"You're blind. Shinji s cuter." The first girl whispers.

"Now, as for where you can sit..." The teacher looks around the room for an open seat.

"Over here!" Sarah shouts, points at the seat next to her.

The teacher sighs, "Okay, you can sit in the seat Sarah is pointing to." Patrick nods, walks over to the open seat next to Sarah and sits down in it. "Now, we'll begin our lesson on Second Impact where we left off yesterday..."

* * *

Toji, Shinji, and Kensuke are talking together on the roof during class recess, standing near the northern roof fence where they usually stand. Asuka and Hikari are talking nearby, while Sarah and Patrick have not arrived.

"Oh man, Toji!" Kensuke cheered. "You were AWESOME out there!"

"I guess I was, huh?" Toji states proudly. "I totally outsmarted that bastard by using its own shield against him."

"Hmp, any idiot could have thought of that idea, stooge." Asuka remarks, approaching them with Hikari behind her. "Heck, I'm surprised you were even smart enough to think of it."

"Why didn't you think of it earlier then, Ms. Perfect." Toji retorts in a sarcastic voice.

Asuka glares at him, "That's because I was only to be fighting if you guys screwed it up all to hell."

"Ha!" Kensuke remarks, "We wouldn't have screwed up. After all, we piloted way better than you ever-" Kensuke never finished this statement due to Asuka kicking him in the face.

Sarah and Patrick walk onto the roof, holding hands. Sarah sighs after seeing Kensuke clutching his face on the ground while Asuka is lowering her foot. "What did he do this time, Asuka?" she asks Asuka.

"Well, he decided to-" Asuka notices Sarah and Patrick holding hands, she shrugs it off. "Anyways, he decided to insult my skills as an Eva pilot. The kick was being generous in MY opinion."

"Hmp." Toji snorts, "You have no decency and no chance for getting a boyfriend with your attitude-" Hikari smacks Toji with her school bag. "Hey, what did I do?"

Hikari turns and walk away, Asuka follows behind her. "I said it before, and I'll say it again." Sarah states blandly, talking to Toji "You have absolutely no understanding of women." she frowns, "Shinji has some understanding, but you and Kensuke have no clue."

* * *

A/N: There you have it, 10 Chapters down, 40 left to go...Or, at least that's my plan. Anyways, I'm tired, goodnight everyone!

A/A/N: This is scheduled for amendment, dunno HOW many chapters at this point.

Read and Review!


	11. The Dragon's Roar

A/N: As this is my first story, I'll be rewriting it after it is done to refine it and make it better. Also, thank you reviewers for cheering me up a bit. Also, Happy 2009 Thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. I write this every chapter out of habit now, don't know WHY, but I might as well.

* * *

The room is dark, only a table with five chairs and a large doorway in the background is visible. Three of the crimson colored orbs on the doorway are no longer glowing. Five figures dressed in black walk towards the table and take their seats. "I can't believe Centuron betrayed us." Darvin's old voice noted.

"He didn't betray us." Chivalt said firmly, "He merely followed his own code of honor. I saw no reason to do that, my Lord."

"He obviously forgot that he obeys OUR orders, not his stupid code of honor." The young man states flatly.

"See?" Shalock's childish voice replies in a mocking voice. "I told you that honor is foolish and stupid." Chivalt draws his sword and slams it down at Shalock, but is blocked by a shield made of pure darkness. "Oh sorry," he states in a bland voice, "I insulted you there, didn't I, Chivalt."

Chivalt snarls and puts his sword away. "Damn brat."

Darvin clears his voice. "Let us send Doragon." There are nods of agreement.

"Agreed." The young man replies calmly. He turns and faces the doorway, the palm of his right hand pointing at one of the orbs on it. "Awaken, Doragon, and burn Tokyo-3 to the ground."

* * *

"You have absolutely no understanding of women." Sarah states blandly.

Toji snorts as Sarah walks away with Patrick. "What did she mean by that?"

Kensuke shrugs. "Don't know. Girls are just weird." he glances at Shinji. "Any idea what she was talking about, Shinji?"

"Huh?" Shinji looks lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Shinji?" Toji asks.

"Nothing." Shinji shakes his head, "Anyways, I think I sort of understand what Sarah was saying."

"So, what did she mean by that?" Kensuke demanded.

"Well, it is hard to explain in words." Shinji frowns, "I suppose the best way to put it is-" Shinji is cut off by the city alarm.

Toji snorts, "I guess another of those things are here to commit suicide." Kensuke looks confused, so Toji explains. "Well, coming here is pretty much suicide considering we are here to kick its ass."

Kensuke laughs. "Now that I understand."

"Hey, stooges!" Asuka shouts, "Quit babbling and hurry up!"

"Yes, your Majesty" Toji says sarcastically. One punch to the face later and all of them head to Nerv, courtesy of Misato's driving skills in an emergency. Needless to say, Toji and Kensuke, who were not yet used to the way Misato drives, nearly got car sick from the experience.

* * *

Misato rushes into the control room with the pilots behind her. "Just in time, Misato." Ritsuko states in a calm voice. "We have another Crimson Angel coming, the Commanders are both at the U.N. meeting, and only Units 01, 02, and 03 can be used. I suppose Unit 04 could be used, but I'd rather avoid it for now."

"What's the target?" Misato demands. Ritsuko point to the visual screen. The target in question resembles a large dragon covered in crimson-colored scales with a spiked tail flying towards Tokyo-3 from the north. "...Is that a dragon?"

"It looks like one, but the Magi detect the presence of an S2 Core and Crimson Waveform Pattern." Ritsuko replies. "The S2 Core is located in its chest, under those scales."

"So, another Crimson Angel?"

"Didn't I just say that." Ritsuko looks at Shinji, Asuka and Toji. "You three suit up and get to your Evas." The three of them head toward the Eva Cages.

"Aw man." Kensuke complains, "Why can't I go?"

"Because your Eva is too damaged." Ritsuko replies in an annoyed voice.

"Why can't I pilot if my Eva is undamaged?" Patrick demands.

"Because the last time you piloted, you ended up in a coma." Patrick is about to protest but Ritsuko cuts him off. "Forget it, you aren't piloting until I'm sure there won't be any negative side effects."

* * *

Units 01, 02, and 03 reach the surface on the northern edge of Tokyo-3. Unit 01 gets a machine gun from the weapons cache, Unit 02 grabs a heavy railgun, and Unit 03 takes out a rocket launcher. Toji opens communications with Units 01 and 02. "Stand back you two, and watch a pro at work." he says in a prideful voice.

"You mean there is someone else here besides us?" Asuka shot back.

Toji snorts and closes communications. Unit 03 targets the approaching Crimson Angel, who is still flying through the air towards Tokyo-3 and fires a rocket at it. When the rocket is within 50 meters of the target, the dragon dives out of the way of the incoming rocket. It faces Unit 03 and opens its mouth, firing a barrage of black fireballs at him. Unit 03 manages to avoid most of them by ducking behind a nearby building, but one of the fireballs hit his left arm. Toji screams in pain as the flames continue burning his arm.

* * *

"What the hell is that?!" Misato demands.

"The Magi detect the presence of the Crimson Angel's AT Field in the flames. The Magi calculate there is a 79.3% chance that the target can use its own AT Field for its fire based attacks." Maya reports in a horrified voice. "The presence of its AT Field in its fire based attacks allow the flames to continue burning, even in the presence of non-flammable materials. Worse yet, the Magi calculated at a high percent that they can't be put out without defeating the Crimson Angel."

"Damnit!" Misato quickly opens communications with the Eva pilots. "Avoid those flames at all costs!" She turns back to Maya, "Eject Toji, he can't do anything else out there."

"...No." Toji grunts, still in severe pain. Unit 03 takes out his Prog. Knife from his shoulder holster and cuts his left arm off, crying out in pain.

"Are you crazy?!" Misato screams at him.

"...Not really...But I can focus better without that arm burning me anymore." he grunts, Eva 03 rising to its feet.

Unit 02 targets the creature with her heavy railgun. "Eat lead, scheissekopf!" Asuka fires a barrage of bullets at it. The Crimson Angel veers off but Unit 02 follows its course, continually firing her railgun at the creature. Suddenly, it faces Unit 02 and fires seven black fireballs at her. Unit 02 deploys her AT Field, blocking direct contact with it. Asuka keeps her Field deployed until the last fireball hits it and stops projecting it. She gasps in pain, clutching her chest. "What... the hell..." she mutters.

"What's wrong with Asuka?" Misato asks, her voice concerned.

Ritsuko frowns. "It's possible that those black flames, created from its own AT Field, are able to inflict pain if it is blocked by an AT Field."

"Damnit. So they either have to dodge the flames entirely, suffer pain from blocking with an AT Field, or take severe burns from direct contact with the attack?" Misato demanded angrily.

"It seems that way." Ritsuko frowns, 'But why not just sweep the flames through the city if the flames won't go out. That would easily take us all out, so why would it hold back a powerful weapon like that.'

"Shinji!" Misato orders, "Shoot that bastard down."

"Right." Shinji replies, Unit 01 firing its machine gun at the target but is blocked by its AT Field, which is blood red in color. The dragon-like creature retaliates, firing black fireballs at Unit 01. Shinji quickly hides behind a nearby building, the fireballs missing him and instead hitting nearby structures. Unit 01 comes out from the building and fires at it again with its machine gun. The bullets are again blocked by its AT Field, it fires black fireballs again, Unit 01 runs to another building to hide behind, safely evading the flames.

* * *

"Huh?" Maya looks baffled.

"What is it?" Ritsuko asks nervously.

"The target's AT Field seems weaker now." Maya reports.

Ritsuko frowns then her face brightens. "That's it!"

"What is it?" Misato demanded in an irritated voice.

"I was wondering why the Crimson Angel didn't just bathe the city in those black flames. After all, since they won't go out, it could have most likely won. But it is separating its own AT Field for the flames, and in the process, making the strength of its Field weaker with each fireball it uses." Ritsuko replies smugly. "All we need to do is make it fire enough of those flames, then just shoot it out of the sky."

* * *

"That sounds easy." Asuka retorts, "But it means playing tag with those fireballs, and that doesn't sound very fun." Unit 02 fires her railgun at the dragon, but it dives out of the way. "Stop moving around like that!" she snaps, continuing to fire at it. The Crimson Angel turns its head towards Unit 02 and fires a black fireball at her. Unit 02 quickly jumps to the side and continues firing, managing to damage the creatures wings. The Crimson Angel roars in pain and crashes into the ground. "Enjoy the taste of pavement?" Asuka taunts.

The Crimson Angel snarls and suddenly fires a sheet of flames at Unit 02! Before the Crimson Angel can focus those flames, Unit 03 jumps at it, chopping at its neck with a Prog. Axe it got from a nearby weapons cache. This attack, while unable to seriously wound the Crimson Angel, was able to distract it, causing the flames to be spread out in the area. Unfortunately, some of the flames hit Unit 02's chest. "SHIEST!" Asuka screams, clutching her chest.

"Asuka!" Shinji shouts. Unit 01 quickly runs over to Unit 02. "Try to deploy your AT Field."

"I'm already...trying to DO THAT!" Asuka snaps, pain in her voice.

Unit 01 deploys its AT Field in front of it, touching the flames. Beads of sweat appear on Shinji's head as he focuses Unit 01's AT Field AROUND the fire, smothering and putting it out. Unit 01 collapses to one knee, Shinji gasping in pain.

* * *

"What the hell?" Ritsuko looks shocked. "Did Shinji just Unit 01's AT Field to negate the Crimson Angel's AT Field based flames?"

"The Magi are unable to confirm." Maya responds, surprised. "This shouldn't even be possible!"

"How's Shinji?" Misato asks in a concerned voice.

"He is in alot of pain right now." Maya reports, "But it seems to mostly be from overuse of his AT-" she begins but stops, staring in amazement at the readings she is seeing. "What the-?!" she looks shocked.

"What is it Maya?" Ritsuko demanded.

"Shinji has reached 100 sync!"

"What?! Open communications with the pilot!" Ritsuko orders.

Maya opens communications with Unit 01. "Shinji, are you alright?" Misato asks.

"Yes, Misato." Shinji replies. "I'm okay. I kind of strange though...but besides that, I'm fine."

* * *

Unit 03 has engaged the dragon-like Crimson Angel in close combat, using his Prog. Knife since his Prog. Axe was damaged by its claws. Unit 03 slashes clumsily at the creatures head, but his Knife is grabs by its teeth and ripped out of his hand, pulling him towards the Crimson Angel. The enemy claws straight through Unit 03's chest, the fail-safe activates and ejects Unit 03's entry plug. The creature pulls his claw out of Unit 03 and is about to use its claw to cut Unit 03 in half when it's midsection is kicked with amazing force, knocking it away about 50 meters. Unit 01 follows up with that attack, charge straight at it before it can react and punches it's head with his right hand, drawing his Prog. Knife from its shoulder holster with his left and slashing downwards at its now exposed neck. The Prog. Knife pierces its neck deeply and it spews black flames around itself in desperation, forcing Unit 01 to jump back.

Unit 01 activates the opening switch for the weapons cache it landed next to, takes out a machine gun, and fires at the Crimson Angel. It quickly deploys its AT Field but is unable to block the barrage of bullets that pierce through its scales, causing it to roar in pain. The black flames around it go out, the AT Field inside them returning to the Crimson Angel. Unit 01 throws his Prog. Knife at the creatures head before it can react, piercing its right eye. The screech of pain from the Crimson Angel is nearly deafening, but Unit 01 gives it no time to retaliate. Unit 01 focuses its AT Field into its fist and jumps at the creature, punching it in the chest, the impact of the attack instantly shatters the dragon-like creature's scales and destroys its S2 Core in the center of the chest.

The Crimson Angel, Doragon, collapses, its body beginning to burn to ashes like the previous Crimson Angels did before him. Unit 01 roars and deactivates.

* * *

"What are the status of the pilots?" Misato demanded.

"Shinji was knocked unconscious after Unit 01 deactivated." Hyuga reports. "Asuka has burns on her chest, but if Shinji didn't negate those flames when he did, they would have been much worse. Toji's left arm is injured and has burns on it too. Luckily, his chest is undamaged due to the fail-safe that ejects pilots if a potentially fatal injury is about to occur."

Misato sighs with relief.

* * *

Two Days Later...

"Why don't we just LIVE here?" Asuka says to Shinji in an annoyed voice, looking around her hospital room. "We ended up in the hospital enough from those Angels, now we end up here for these new guys."

"I guess so." Shinji replies, sitting up on his bed. He was, strictly speaking, uninjured. Ritsuko wanted to examine him because of his high sync ratio again, though.

"Tch. How's that stooge doing anyways?" Asuka asks Shinji.

"Misato said it could have been worse if he didn't cut off his Eva's arm."

Asuka snorts, "The idiot must be looking for a death wish out there." she hesitates, "Thank you."

Shinji blinks, "Huh?"

"For, you know, getting rid of the flames.." Asuka looks away.

"Oh, right..." Shinji's face becomes flushed.

"Shinji..." Asuka hesitates, "You never did answer my question,"

Shinji blinks, "What question?"

"You know, who you like."

Shinji blushes, "Oh, that. Well...umm.."

The door is slammed open, causing both of them to jump up in surprise. Sarah enters the room, "What's up, Asuka?" Asuka glares at her, then Sarah notices something. "I just interrupted a romantic moment, didn't I?"

"You think?" Asuka says flatly.

"Sorry, sorry." Sarah apologizes. "Anyways, I came to deliver good news. Both of you are released from the hospital. Toji, unfortunately for Hikari, won't be released for a week."

"That's not very nice, you know." Asuka noted.

Sarah shrugs. "I'm in odd humor today. Also, YOU are coming with me, Misato and Rei for clothes shopping." Asuka's eyes narrow. "Misato is paying for everything." Sarah added. Asuka's face brightens up.

"Great! Wait, where's your boyfriend? Is he coming too?" Asuka asks teasingly.

Sarah blushes faintly. "No, he isn't."

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"Because I'm not quite used to this whole 'relationship' thing yet. Anyways, he didn't feel like going shopping. He's going to be watching Anime." She rolls her eyes, "He always was a huge fan of Anime while in the U.S., but now since he actually LIVES in Japan, he now can watch it non stop."

"That is ridiculous!" Asuka snapped. "What do you see in him?"

Sarah smiles faintly. "No one in perfect and, despite that, I still love him."

Asuka shakes her head. "I will never understand love."

"I think you will. Anyways, lets go shopping for clothes!" Sarah cheers. "Want to join us, Shinji?"

"Umm.." Shinji hesitates, "I think I'll pass."

"Fine with us." Asuka says flatly. "Lets go Sarah."

* * *

"That was kinda mean, Asuka." Sarah chides her. Misato is driving Rei, Asuka, and Sarah to the clothing store. "Why were you rude to Shinji? You'll never get him at this rate."

Asuka snorts. "What's that suppose to mean." Sarah sighs and rolls her eyes.

"It is obvious that Pilot Souryu and Pilot Ikari are in love. Their actions, statements, and feeling for either other during their interactions are proof of this." Rei says in a monotone voice.

Misato laughs while Asuka just blushes. "Rei's got you there, Asuka."

"Zip it, Wondergirl." Asuka snaps, "You too, Misato."

Misato laughs again. "Do you want some advice on love, Asuka?" she asks teasingly. "I'll be happy to teach you."

"Not from YOU." Asuka replies flatly. "Especially considering your sick relationship with Kaji."

"...Excuse me?" Misato asks mildly with a veiled threat in her voice.

"You heard-" Asuka began in an angry voice.

"Misato, we're here." Sarah cuts off Asuka's statement. Misato pulls into the parking lot of the clothing store.

* * *

"Tch. I can't believe this." Toji mutters. "I'm stuck lying in bed for a whole week in this damned hospital room." Toji has his left arm in a cast and it is covered in bandages.

"Sorry." Shinji replies.

"You don't need to apologize, Shinji." Toji says to him. "If you didn't take that bastard out, our wounds would have been alot worse." he pauses. "You have already started standing up for yourself more often, so stop apologizing, okay? Well, for things you can't control anyways."

"Okay, Toji. I'll try it."

Toji sighs, "It's become a habit for you, so it'll probably be hard." There is a knock on the door. "If it's Asuka, don't come in." he says in a flat voice.

The door opens and Kensuke enters. "Hi Toji, how's the hospital bed?" he asks cheerfully.

Toji glares at him. "I can send you to one if you aren't careful. Then you can find out yourself."

"You seem to be in a bad mood." Kensuke noted.

"Blame the pain I'm in right now." Toji says flatly. "So, any idea where the Devil-Incarnate is?"

"You shouldn't call her that." Shinji says quietly. "You'll just make her mad."

"That's if she finds out." Toji remarks. "So, any idea where she is?"

"Misato, Asuka, Rei, and Sarah went shopping for clothes." Shini replies.

"Ha! The Devil-Incarnate shopping for clothes like a normal girl? As if that could happen." Kensuke remarks.

"She HAS changed alot." Toji notes. "So maybe Third Impact made her more normal." he looks at Shinji. "You've spent alot more time with her than us, has she REALLY changed?"

Shinji nods. "Asuka has changed alot, actually. She keeps it well hidden for most people."

"I'll take your word for it." Toji says doubtfully.

"Oh, I brought your new video game and your Nintendo DS, Toji." Kensuke says, pulling out a Nintendo DS and handing it to Toji.

"Awesome! I finally have something to do to pass the time."

"Okay, I'm going to head home." Shinji says quietly.

"If you want to." Toji shrugs, "I suppose it's a good idea. After all, you'll have the house to yourself until Asuka gets home."

Shinji nods and leaves the room, closing the door behind himself. "...I don't approve of Asuka much, but maybe Shinji should go out with her." Toji says absently, his face thoughtful.

"Eh?! Are you nuts?!" Kensuke looks shocked.

"Not really. At least, I hope not. That's an 'if' situation. Like, 'If she has changed enough not to be a total bitch.'" Toji replies calmly.

"How about you find yourself a girlfriend before helping Shinji find one." Kensuke suggests.

Toji blushes faintly. "Oh, right. Umm... I already have one... sort of."

"EH?!" Kensuke nearly shouts. "Who is it?!"

"None of your business." Toji mutters, "You wouldn't approve of the choice anyways."

"Well, have you asked her out?" Kensuke asks curiously.

"...No." Toji admits.

"Did you at least say something to her about your feelings or whatever?"

".....No." Toji sighs.

Kensuke sighs. "You are pathetic, man."

Toji glares at him. "The only thing you are interested in is Evas, so you have no room to talk." he says flatly.

Kensuke frowns. "I suppose you have a point there." he admits. "So, can you at least tell me who your 'girlfriend' is?"

"...Promise not to tell ANYONE?" Toji replies flatly. "Not even Shinji."

"Fine, I promise." Kensuke replies. "Who is it?"

Toji blushes. "Hikari." He says softly.

Kensuke stares at him for a full 15 seconds, his face dumbfounded. "...That's a bad joke, Toji." Kensuke says finally, laughing. "I almost believed you for a..." he looks at Toji's face. Kensuke becomes absolutely silent. "What the hell?! Why HER of all people?!" he demanded.

"Hey! She isn't all that bad. She is smart, pretty, kind, helpful-"

"Okay, enough!" Kensuke shouts, cutting him off. "I get it...she's a great person." Kensuke says with disbelief in his voice. "But why do you like her when she hits you over the head with her schoolbag."

Toji sighs. "Because I tease Asuka, her, or girls in general." he hesitates. "I hate to admit it, but most of the time, I sort of deserve it."

Kensuke shakes his head. "I will NEVER understand love."

"Probably." Toji agrees. "Anyways, did you bring your Nintendo DS too?"

Kensuke smirks. "Of course. Tag-Team Battle?" Toji nods. Kensuke pulls his Nintendo DS out of his pocket and turns it on. "Lets the games begin!"

* * *

Shinji enters Misato's apartment quietly, the sound of the TV is heard. He walks toward his room to relax and listen to his music player. As he walks past the kitchen door and into the living room, he notices Misato's penguin, Pen Pen, watching the TV. He faces Shinji, "WARK!" he says.

"Hello, Pen Pen." Shinji says softly, walking into his room and shutting the door behind himself. The penguin shrugs and goes back to watching TV.

Shinji walks to his bed and lays down on it. He puts his earphones on and listens to some classical music. He sighs and thinks to himself, 'What should I do. I do like Asuka alot, but she'd just reject my feelings for her. But...she seems to like me too- No, I'm just imagining things, she'd never would be in love with me...' Shinji sighs, ketting his mind wander as he listens to the music.

* * *

"Hmm, I think you'd look good in this blue dress, Asuka." Sarah suggests.

"...I don't know." she hesitates. "I'd prefer red actually."

"Try it, Asuka." Sarah says more firmly. "It'll look great on you. Right, Misato? Rei?"

"It will look acceptable." Rei comments.

Misato shrugs, "It will probably look alright." she smirks. "I should have brought Shinji along so he could comment...AND watch you show off in those low cut skirts you were looking at awhile ago." Misato says teasingly.

"Hey!" Asuka blushes, "He'd probably faint from just seeing it, you perverted old lady!"

"...OLD?!" Misato screams at her. "I'm only 29! I'm young and sexy!"

"...That's probably why Kaji even bothers with you." Asuka retorts.

Misato snarls, but Sarah gets between the two of them. "Calm down, you two. We are in a shopping store, so TRY not to make a scene, please."

Asuka and Misato glare at each and snort, turning their heads away from each other as if they were pouting. Sarah sweatdrops, 'Sure, Misato. You SAY you are 29, but you act more like a 3 year old... unfortunately, Asuka acts the same way sometimes.' Asuka walks into the changing booth with the blue dress and comes out a couple minutes later wearing it.

"Well, does it look good on me?" Asuka demanded.

Sarah blinks, "It does, actually. But I'm not the best judge, you'd need a guy to comment."

"I think it looks great." a man's voice comments. Misato turns sharply towards the voice, it was Kaji! "What's up, Misato?"

"Kaji!" Asuka cheers, "Where-"

"Where have you been?" Misato demanded, cutting Asuka off.

Kaji shrugs. "Here and there." he says vaguely.

"That isn't very descriptive." Misato says flatly, "You could have been in what's left of Antarctica, the Moon, or the Sun."

"Ah, you made a correct guess down the line there." Kaji says blandly, "I've been in Antarctica, and it was quite an interesting visit."

"Define 'interesting' Kaji." Misato demanded.

"Oh, life returning there, ice reforming there, the continent returning back to the way it was before Second Impact, etc, etc." Kaji replies blandly.

"EH?!" Misato looks shocked. "How is that possible?!"

Kaji shrugs. "That is what I was going to ask Ritsuko when I came back here, but I noticed you and these fine young ladies going shopping so I decided to secretly tag along."

"In other words." Misato says darkly, "You were spying on us."

"Oh, Misato." Kaji says in a hurt voice. "'Spying' is such a cruel word. Why not 'watching' instead?"

"How about stalking?" she retorts.

"This is kinda fun to watch." Sarah whispers to Asuka, "More fun than watching you and Misato fight."

Asuka glares at her and walks back into the dressing booth to take the dress she was wearing off and putting her original clothes back on.

* * *

A/N: I'm pretty sure I don't need to italicize, if that's the right term, their conversation. After all, they all speak English, so what's the point?

"I'm hoooome!" Sarah cheerfully enters Serenas' apartment after getting home from clothes shopping holding two bags, the sun setting in the distance. Patrick is watching Anime on TV, Serena is washing dishes and also watching the TV from the kitchen. Sarah sighs, "Geez, don't crowd all over me all at once and ask how my day has been." she says sarcastically.

"Hello Sarah." Serena says calmly. "How was your day?"

"Oh, it was fun!" Sarah began. "Me, Asuka, Misato, and Rei went clothes shopping. We ran into Kaji there and he got into an argument with Misato... or rather, she got into an argument with him. It was more fun to watch than Asuka and Misato fighting."

Serena sighs. "When will you grow up?"

"Never, I hope." Sarah says impishly. "It's fun being a kid. Try it sometimes, you'll have fun." She skips into the living room and puts her hands in front of Patrick's eyes and whispers seductively into his ear. "Guess who?"

Patrick blushes. "Sarah?"

"Aww." Sarah removes her hands. "You peeked, no fair." She hops over the back of the couch and slides down, sitting next to Patrick, kissing him on the cheek. Patrick kisses her back, but on the lips.

Sarah moans softly and deepens the kiss. Serena coughs. "Would you two please get a room?" she suggests.

"We'd like to." Sarah states blandly. "But your house rules say we can't."

"You know why, don't you?" Serena replies in a firm voice.

Sarah blushes. "Yes, and I think it's silly. We'd never do _that_, we are too young."

Serena raises her eyebrow. "Really? I was a teenager once too, you know. I also know the stupid mistakes that teenagers around YOUR age make out of impulse rather than reason."

Sarah snorts. "You should find yourself a boyfriend, Serena." she suggests.

Serena shrugs. "Probably, but I have more important things to do right now."

"Like?" Sarah looks curious.

"Taking care of the both of you." she replies blandly. "Also, you better not have bought anything TOO revealing in the clothing you got today, even if it is for Patrick's view pleasure." she teases.

Both Sarah and Patrick blush. "That's none of your business!" Sarah snaps, storming off into her room.

Serena chuckles. "I can trust YOU not to do anything precocious." she says to Patrick, "But Sarah might decide to take your relationship a bit too far." she states blandly. "Anyways, what's on next?"

"Bleach." Patrick replies, his face still slightly red.

"Seriously? I haven't seen that in awhile." Serena walks out into the living room and sits next to Patrick, holding a bowl of popcorn.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"We're home!" Asuka shouted. "Dinner had better be cooked!"

"It is." Shinji replies, his voice faintly annoyed.

"Good. I'm starving." Asuka rushes into her room, drops off her new clothes, dashes into the bathroom to wash her hands, and dashes back into the kitchen, sitting down in her chair. "Done in record time!" Asuka notices the menu for tonight. "Ramen? Are you serious?" she demanded.

"Well." Shinji hesitated, "I wasn't sure when you would be home so I cooked Ramen because it is easier to heat back up."

Asuka snorts, "That's just an excuse."

"Now, now." Misato chides Asuka. "You two can tease each other in private after you get married."

"How about you shut it." Asuka says angrily, blushing. "Your agrument with Kaji got the entire store's attention. You're lucky we didn't get thrown out."

"Don't exaggerate." Misato complained. "It wasn't THAT bad."

"Correct. However, while teasing Pilots Ikari and Souryu is enjoyable to you, they would prefer you didn't." Rei says in a monotone voice.

"See?" Asuka replies blandly. "Even Wondergirl thinks you tease me too much."

"However.." Rei smiles faintly, and her voice sounds faintly amused. "I will admit that watching their reactions and trying to say the opposite of how they feel about each other is enjoyable to watch."

Misato laughs, while Shinji and Asuka blush. "I know you had a sense of humor in there, Rei."

"Yeah, a bad one." Asuka muttered darkly.

Rei just shrugs and begins eating.

* * *

A/N: There you have it, viewers! I know I already said this but Happy Thankgiving! Anyways, just to avoid copyright issues AGAIN. I don't own Nintendo or any Anime shows I list in my story. Now that it is out of the way, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	12. Sync Tests and a Picnic

A/N: Hello faithful readers! The first 10 chapters could have been better, but I'll fix that another time, eh? Anyways, I'm rambling (Again), so on with the show! Yes, It has taken awhile to post this, but please understand. My inspiration, for some obscure reason, now only works in school. So yes, that sucks right? This chapter went well in MY opinion, but you be the judge.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion (Kinda obvious by now).

* * *

Ritsuko is overlooking the Magi in the commander center with Maya sitting in a chair next to her, typing on a computer. Hyuga and Aoba are currently on break, and Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki have not yet returned. "Hey! Long time, no see Ritsuko." a man's voice echoes in the room. Ritsuko turns around towards the sound of the voice. It was Kaji, and standing next to him is Misato, who doesn't look very happy.

"Ah, hello Kaji, Misato." Ritsuko responds. She walks over to them, "What brings you here today?"

Kaji shrugs, "Not much. Came to report in to Commander Ikari, but he is still at the U.N. meeting, huh?"

"Yes. He should be heading back about now, though." Ritsuko looks at him curiously, "What did he ask you to report on, anyways?"

Misato snorts. "Antarctica." she states in a flat voice. "I don't even see the point in investigating a continent wiped out by Second Impact."

"Ah" Kaji states blandly, "But Commander Ikari thought it should be investigated, and it turns out it was a good idea." He pulls out a data disk and hands it to Ritsuko. "It seems our friendly ice continent, Antarctica, is back on the map. Even life is returning there."

"What?!" Ritsuko looks surprised. "How is that even possible? Second Impact completely obliterated it, not even microscopic lifeforms survived."

Kaji shrugs. "Not sure. You should have the Magi examine the data I recorded with the science team deployed there."

"I refuse to believe that." Misato states flatly. "There's no way it could just be restored like that. Even the Magi said it was impossible before Third Impact. Right, Ritsuko?"

Ritsuko is frowning. "I have a theory about this, but let me have the Magi examine this data before I draw any conclusions."

"What 'theory' would that be, Ritsuko?" Misato demanded.

"...You remember Third Impact, right?"

"I've been trying to forget. So yes, I remember it." Misato responds dryly.

"The Magi theorized that Unit 01, or more accurately, the Pilot of Unit 01, had complete control of the Human Instrumentality Project during Third Impact. The Eva also had complete and total control over the Earth." Ritsuko frowns, letting the information sinking into Misato. "However, Shinji wasn't conscious enough to do that, due to the current situation. Subconsciously, however, he might have thought of some changes to make to the world. Unit 01, which contains Yui's soul, could have acted on those thoughts and made those changes a reality."

"Speak in plain Japanese, Ritsuko." Misato says flatly.

"Okay, simplifying it for your lack of intelligence," Ritsuko begins, her tone of voice teasing as she insults Misato. Kaji laughs at that until Misato glares at him, which shuts him up. "Shinji might have thought of some changes to make to the world, Shinji's mother saw those thoughts and decided to act on them. Simple enough?"

"Yes." Misato replies in the flinty voice. "It is simple enough. So in other words, Shinji wanted the world to change and it happened."

Ritsuko sighs. "If you put it that way, I guess so. It's only a theory, though. We can't be sure that Shinji caused this, at least until the Magi confirms it." Ritsuko shakes her head. "Most of what happened during Third Impact is merely theory. The rest of it we can't even hope to understand." She hands Kaji's data disk to Maya. "Maya, reconfigure the Magi. After we get the data from this, we'll need to calculate the current global weather patterns and compare them to 15 years ago."

"Right." Maya responds.

* * *

SEELE 01: ...Four Crimson Angels have been eliminated, four failed attempts.

SEELE 06: More than that, Keel. One of them nearly told Ikari our goals! What is that man thinking sending a fool like that?!

"...It was an unfortunate and unexpected outcome." The young man's voice echoes, appearing in the center of the room. His hood has been pushed back, but the light isn't good enough to see any details. His blood red eyes, however, chill everyone in the room, silencing them immediately. "...You can continue your commentary about our failures if you wish. I will fully agree with some of it. The First did his task exceptionally. The Second failed, but did adequately. The Fourth did well, we didn't take into account or expect Unit 01's Pilot to advance this far this quickly."

SEELE 02: Agreed, I was unaware the AT Field was capable of such a thing.

SEELE 08: His skill with Eva Unit 01 and his understanding of it will eventually allow himself to consciously give himself a 100 sync ratio, if not higher. He MUST be eliminated immediately, or at least before he fully unlocks his Evangelion's true potential.

SEELE 01: We shall send the Eva Series against them.

"No." The young man said firmly. "You shall wait until you have more data on their piloting skills. We still have eight more reawakening stones remaining."

SEELE 07: And if you run out?

"...I shall take Unit 01 myself." his cold voice echoing in the room.

SEELE 06: ...Why did you not do that yet? You could save a great deal of time.

"No. If I interfere directly, my Master will not approve." he states calmly. "Until I have no other options, I shall not interfere."

SEELE 10: You 'interfered' by silencing the Third Crimson Angel and briefly engaging Evangelion Unit 01.

The young man glares at SEELE 10's monolith, silencing him. "There was no other choice. Had I waited, the damage could have been irreversible."

SEELE 01: Who will be sent next?

"I have not yet decided. Whoever I choose will be sent in a few weeks, however." he pauses. "It's time to start taking these brats more seriously." He vanishes into the darkness.

* * *

Ritsuko and Misato are standing in the sync test control room three days later, observing the sync ratio scores.

Rei Ayanami: 76

Asuka Langley Souryu: 83

Shinji Ikari: 87

Toji Suzahara: 65

Patrick Luminaire: 73

Kensuke Aida: 54

Sarah Elenor: 67

"Asuka's score is almost up to where it was befor it went down arounds the time the Fifteenth Angel showed up." Ritsuko notes, comparing the scores.

"Really?" Misato asks curiously. "I forgot what her highest score was."

"Around 85 was Asuka's best. Oh, Shinji is doing great as well, a record high score for him." Ritsuko double checks her notes, "Toji and Kensuke are doing alot better as well."

Misato raises an eyebrow. "How'd they get such high scores so quickly anyways?"

Ritsuko chuckles. "They've been using the simulator at any opportunity they can get." Misato frowns but Ritsuko continues. "This time I've fixed it so that issue won't happen again."

Misato sighs. "Fine, fine. What about Rei, Patrick, and Sarah?"

"None of them have major changes in their scores."

Misato leans closer to Ritsuko and whispers to her. "Did you ever get the change to examine Rei?"

Ritsuko nods. "You remember the Dummy Plug system, right?"

Misato shudders. "Yeah, I wish I could forget it."

"Anyways, Rei's brain was formed and raised in a way that make her more or less emotionless and obedient to Commander Ikari."

Misato shakes her head. "He has issues."

Ritsuko chuckles. "I'll agree to that. Anyways, the part of her brain that never was used or even formed seems to be there now." She taps the clipboard she is holding thoughtfully. "I guess she is, in a way, becoming more like a human and less like an Angel."

"That's a nice change actually." Misato noted, "Where did Commander Ikari get another Rei if you destroyed the Dummy System anyways?"

Ritsuko frowns. "That's the odd part. She was found unconscious in Terminal Dogma after SEELE sent that first Eva."

Misato narrowed her eyes, "The report said that you took out Unit 01's Dummy Plug, so I assumed you used that to make another Rei."

Ritsuko shakes her head. "It wasn't necessary to keep the Dummy Plug since Shinji decided to fight again. The Dummy Plug WAS needed to wake Rei up." Misato raises an eyebrow so Ritsuko continues. "Rei was in a sort of coma, so we used that data from the Dummy Plug to-"

"HEY!"

Ritsuko and Misato slarply turn towards the source of the voice. They notice Asuka's face on a comm window above the sync test room monitor, and not looking very happy. "Can we GO now? I have better things to do than sit here in this stupid entry plug for hours on end."

"Don't exaggerate Asuka." Ritsuko said in an annoyed voice. "Fine, you can all leave-" The phone starts to ring. Ritsuko walks over to it and talking into it. "Doctor Akagi here." She blinks in surprise. "Oh, you just got back to Nerv today- Yes. Yes, he's here." She raise an eyebrow. "Okay, I'll transfer the line to his entry plug." He opens a comm window to Shinji. "Shinji, someone would like to talk with you."

"Umm, okay." Shinji replied.

A comm window with 'Voice Only' pops up in Shinji's entry plug. "Hello Shinji." It was Gendo Ikaro's voice.

"Oh, umm, hi Father." Shinji hesitately and nervously responds.

"...You did exceptionally well against the Fourth Crimson Angel." The voice hesitates at the next part. "Thank you." The comm channel closes.

Shinji blinks a few times, his brain trying to register what just happened. "Did he just say 'Thank you'?" he thinks to himself.

* * *

"...I didn't hear what Gendo had to say to Shinji." Misato frowns.

Ritsuko sighs. "He cut off external communications to the Entry Plug for some reason." She turns on communications with all the entry plugs. "Okay, that's it for the test today, you can leave."

"Finally!" Asuka grumbled.

"What time is it?" Patrick asked curiously.

"Around noon, why?" Ritsuko asks calmly.

"Wha-?! Why'd you have to keep us here this long? One of my favorite Anime shows is coming on in thirty minutes!"

Everyone in the control room sweatdrops and Sarah sighs. "Will you grow up, Patrick? It's just a TV show, geez."

"Take your own advice Sarah." Patrick retorts, "I know all about your flirting with other guys while I wasn't around."

"Who told you that?" Sarah demanded.

"Will you two shut it?!" Misato snaps at them from the sync test control room, silencing both of them.

"Oi! Why'd you stop it Misato?" Toji chuckles, "It was just getting good."

"Yeah." Kensuke agrees.

Sarah glares at the two of them. "Go ahead and laugh. See what happens." she says in an ominous voice, clenching her fists. Rei watches the entire scene with some interest. Asuka looks like she'll side with Sarah if a fight breaks out but Shinji just doesn't want them to fight at all.

"...If any of you starts a fight down there, I'm throwing you all into a cell." Ritsuko threatens them, cutting off any arguments or fights in an instant. "Now, if you kids want to act like 3 year olds, do it on your own time, not ours."

The Children chose, wisely, to change back into their own clothes and worry about the argument another time.

* * *

Asuka sighs, "I'm bored. Why'd Misato insist we not get too comfortable...and why did she insist that Shinji help her with something in the kitchen?" She looks annoyed, laying down across the couch with her legs hanging off the armrest at the end of the couch. Rei is sitting down in a nearby chair, her hands folded, waiting calmly. There are faint sounds of yelling from the apartment room next door. "Hey! Do you know anything Wondergirl?" Asuka demanded.

"I do not." Rei says simply. "It is possible that Major Katsuragi is planning something that requires Shinji Ikari's assistance."

"Wow." Asuka says scathingly. "I couldn't fight THAT much out by myself. So, what are they planning then?"

"I am uncertain. However, the fact she asked Shinji Ikari for assistance may mean that he is aware of what Major Katsuragi is planning and assisting her will prepare this plan more efficiently and/or more quickly." Rei responds in her normal monotone voice. "There are other possibilities as well. Major Katsuragi may need his assistance but he was not aware of her plan or idea before. There are many possibilities for what she could need Shinji's talents for. His skill with an Evangelion is very unlikely, otherwise we would be at Nerv." Rei pauses. "It is possible she needs his musical talent."

Asuka looks confused. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Rei looks faintly surprised. "You do not remember Shinji Ikari can play a cello?"

Asuka frowns, thinking. "Wait...I think I remember that, but he probably isn't that good."

"I must disagree." Rei states firmly. "He has a great deal of skill."

"Fine, fine. So, what else could Misato need Shinji for?"

"His only other major talent is his skills as a cook." Rei responds calmly.

Misato and Shinji walk out of the kitchen, Misato is carrying a basket and a large table cloth. "Lets go, you two."

Asuka sits up. "So, what's in the basket?"

"It's a secret." Misato says cheerfully.

* * *

The grassy hilltop overlooks the city of Tokyo-3, a single large tree at the top, providing shade from the sun. The temperatures outside were nice and cool compared to the normal weather before Third Impact. Misato, followed by Shinji, Asuka and Rei, walk to the top of the hill. Asuka looks almost happy at this point, being in this nice weather. Shinji also seems happy and, surprisely, Rei is smiling faintly. Misato puts down the basket, takes the tablecloth she also brought with her, and lays it down on the ground, placing the basket in the center. Misato smiles and sits down on the cloth, waving to the children. "Take a seat you three."

"Now can you tell us what you brought us out her for?" Asuka asks, faintly annoyed.

"Simple. A picnic." Misato replies cheerfully.

Asuka sighs. "I suppose saying 'No thanks' won't help much now, huh?" Misato nods. "Oh well...I guess it won't be too bad." Asuka glances at Shinji, "Did you know about this?" She asks, sitting down next to Misato.

Shinji nods. "Misato came up with the idea but needed me to cook everything for the picnic." Shinji hesitates and sits next to Asuka.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Shinji hesitates. "Misato asked me not to. She said it was a surprise, Asuka."

Asuka sighs. "Well, we might as well enjoy ourselves. Right Wondergirl?"

"Enjoy?" Rei asks, frowning.

"You know, have fun."

"...I have never had 'fun' before." Rei replies, sitting down between Shinji and Misato.

"Well, it's a good time to try." Misato says cheerfully, opening the picnic basket. She takes out a variety of foods such as sandwiches, potato chips, water bottles, and (unsurprisingly) beer cans for herself. Misato also pulls out some paper plates for said foods, as well as napkins. Misato grabs one of the beer cans she took out, opens it, and drinks about half of it in one gulp. She looks at the children, who are just staring at her. "Hey, dig in already. We're here to have fun, not watch me drink." Misato points out.

Rei takes a sandwich, unwrapping the plastic wrap around it, and slowly eats it. Asuka looks suspiciously at Rei, then at the food, and finally glancing at Misato. "You didn't prepare the food, did you Misato?" Asuka demanded, "I don't want to get food poisoning from your horrid cooking skills."

Misato glares at her and is about to retort to that rude, but obviously true, statement concerning the truth about her cooking skills, Shinji replies first. "Don't worry, Asuka." he says softly. "I prepared the food, not Misato. Besides, they ARE just sandwiches, Misato couldn't ruin something as simple as that."

Asuka snorts, "She could find a way to screw it up I bet." Asuka mutters darkly, loud enough for Misato to hear. Misato glares at Asuka but says nothing yet as she takes a sandwich and, hesitantly, takes a bite of it. Her face brightens up, "Well, I guess the sandwiches are okay." Asuka admits, "Not poisonous or anything. Thank you Shinji."

Shinji looks slightly embarrassed from being praised by Asuka. Misato cuts Shinji off before he can reply to this, however. "Why don't you just say it, Asuka?" she demanded acidly.

"Say what, Misato?" Asuka asks innocently.

"You think my cooking sucks." Misato growls at her.

"No, I don't think that Misato." Asuka replies in a sweet voice. "I KNOW your cooking sucks."

Just as Misato retorts, Shinji interrupts her. "Umm, we are here to relax and have fun, not fight and argue with each other." he says hesitantly. The threat of a fight hangs in the air for a few seconds as Asuka and Misato glare at each other.

Finally, Asuka sighs. "Sorry Misato."

Misato blinks, still slightly surprised at an apology coming out of her mouth. "It's okay, Asuka." Misato replies calmly, shrugging it off. Shinji breathes a sigh of relief.

"It is unfortunate Pilots Luminaire and Elenor were unable to participate in this activity." Rei notes in her normal monotone voice.

Misato chuckles at that. "I was originally going to invite them, but I decided it wouldn't be a good idea. Their relationship issues today would end up destroying the peace of this picnic."

Rei frowns at this. "My hypothesis about the human emotion 'Love' is that it is a strange and curious emotion, Major Katsuragi." Rei replies in a calm voice.

Misato smirks, "That's true enough, Rei. Also, just call me 'Misato' outside of Nerv."

"But that would be against-"

Misato cuts Rei off. "I don't care, and neither should you." she states flatly. "You are a human being-" Rei frowns at this, so Misato corrects herself. "-A person with free will, not a puppet to be controlled by Commander Ikari. You can do what you want to, and I don't mind just being called 'Misato.' Actually, I'd prefer it that way."

Rei frowns and then smiles, more than surprising all of them by actually showing emotions. "Very well, Misato Katsuragi." Her voice is faintly happy.

Misato sighs to herself and thinks. 'Well, I suppose it's a start.'

"You actually have emotions, Wondergirl?" Asuka demanded in a shocked voice.

"That is correct, Pilot Souryu." Rei's voice has a slight edge to it. "I would also prefer for you not to call me 'Wondergirl,' Pilot Souryu."

Asuka blinks, surprised at Rei actually talking back to her but quickly recovers. "Fine, but you have to stop calling me 'Second Child' or Pilot Souryu,' I have a name so use it." Asuka counters in a flinty voice.

Rei nods and smiles. "Very well, Asuka."

Asuka sigh. "Whatever, Wonder- I mean, Rei." she corrects herself.

'Well, Asuka and Rei SEEM to be getting along better, sort of anyways.' Misato thinks to herself as she watches them talk with each other.

* * *

Meanwhile, back with the other two pilots...

"Immature brat!" Patrick snaps at Sarah.

"You're one to talk, idiot!" Sarah retorts.

Serena sighs, just entering the apartment. 'What did I walk into, exactly?' she asks herself. "Hey! Why are you two fighting?" she demanded after entering the living room where the two of them were arguing.

Sarah glances at Serena. "Simple, Patrick here decided that Anime is more important that the Evas or me!"

"No I didn't." Patrick states in a flat voice. "Stop being a drama queen already."

"I am NOT a drama queen, Anime freak!" Sarah screams at him.

"I am not an Anime-"

"SHUTUP!" Serena snaps, cutting Patrick's retort off. "Until you stop behaving like children, you both are staying in your rooms." They both glares at each other but Serena's steely gaze cuts off further arguments, both of them stomp off to their respective rooms and slam their door shut in unison. Serena sighs, "This is why I wonder if either of them will grow up."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, everyone has mostly finished off the food that was contained in the picnic basket. Asuka gets up and stretches. "I feel like taking a walk. Anyone want to join me?" she asks everyone calmly, glancing at Shinji briefly.

Misato smiles to herself and shakes her head. "Sorry Asuka, not interested right now. I need to talk with Rei, so she won't be going either." Misato looks at Shinji. "It's sort of private, so why don't you join Asuka?"

Shinji hesitates then stands up. "Okay Misato." He glances at Asuka, "You don't mind, right Asuka?"

"Not really." Asuka replies. "Come on, lets go." Misato smiles as both of them walk off together, walking lose to each other.

As soon as they are out of earshot, Rei faces Misato. "What is it that you wish to speak with me about, Major Katsuragi?" she asks in her normal monotone voice.

Misato smiles and leans back against the tree behind her. "Not much actually." she admitted. "Also, I asked you to call me 'Misato' outside of Nerv HQ, Rei." she reminds her.

Rei smiles, "I believe the true reason you needed to speak with me privately. It was not to truly speak with me, but to let Asuka and Shinji be alone together." Rei states calmly.

Misato stares at her for a few seconds and then laughs, "You are more perceptive of human emotions than I originally thought, Rei." she replies in an amused voice. "However, I really do have a few things to talk about with you that Shinji and Asuka don't need to hear about."

Rei looks faintly curious at this. "What do you mean?"

She frowns, "You have been acting more like a normal human being, rather than an emotionless robot. What caused that change anyways?"

Rei hesitates, "Commander Ikari theorized it was caused by Third Impact."

"I'm asking for YOUR view on what happened, not Commander Ikari's." Misato states flatly. She shakes her head, "What REALLY happened during Third Impact, Rei?"

She shakes her head, "I cannot say."

"If you were ordered by Ikari to keep your mouth shut about it-"

Rei cuts Misato off. "I cannot say because I cannot remember most of my memories tht happened during Third Impact."

Misato stares Rei in the eyes, looking for a hint of deception, then sighs. "I guess you really don't remember." she frowns, "I have another question. I know for a fact LCL is made from Lilith's blood, but Lilith's body was destroyed during THird Impact. How is Commander Ikari still able to produce enough for the Entry Plugs?" Misato demanded.

Rei's face looks amused. "What am I made of, Misato?" Misato looks baffled at the reply so Rei continues. "I contain both the DNA of Yui Ikari and the Angel Lilith, as well as house her soul. It would not be difficult to copy my Angel DNA and use it to create LCL."

Misato sighs, "I didn't think of that." she admitted. "I have one final question. Why were the Dummy Plugs removed from Units 01 and 02?"

"Shinji and Asuka chose to continue piloting. Therefore, Commander Ikari felt it unnecessary to keep the dummy plug system in Eva Units 01 and 02."

"I suppose that makes sense."

* * *

Asuka's expression seems happy as she walks with Shinji. In contrast, Shinji appears nervous, half afraid of inciting Asuka's ire. Asuka sighs happily. "This cool weather reminds me alot of Germany."

'I guess that's why Asuka is so happy.' Shinji thinks to himself. He hesitates briefly and responds. "Umm, is that why you seem happy today?"

"Hmm..." Asuka's expression is thoughtful, "That's part of the reason." She hesitates, reaches her hand out, and holds onto Shinji's hand. Both of them blush at this close contact. Do-Don't misunderstand, Shinji. My hand is just cold." She is obviously lying, because her hand is actually quite warm.

'She says that every timee she does something nice like this.' Shinji thinks to himself. 'Is she just afraid of admitting her real feelings or am I just imagining things?' Shinji shakes his head, "I understand, Asuka." he replies, smiling at her.

Asuka blushes faintly and yawns to cover it up. "I'm a bit tired from walking, so lets take a break." She walks over to a nearby tree, Shinji following her. Both of them as still holding hands as they sit down.

Asuka decides to take the next step and leans against Shinji, resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes are closed as she yawns again, seemingly tired. Shinji blushes, "Umm, Asuka?" he asks nervously, "Are you okay?"

Asuka smiles, opening her eyes, "Yeah, I'm fine...just a bit tired." she yawns again, closing her eyes. Minutes drag on as they remain in the same position. Shinji is still hesitant and nervous at this point. He is unsure if Asuka is just acting this way because she is tired, if she is just teasing him, or if she is actually acting this way because she WANTS to."

"I'm sorry."

Shinji blinks, trying to clear his head as he looks at Asuka. "Huh?" he asks, unsure if he heard Asuka correctly.

"I said I'm sorry, Shinji." Asuka's voice seems sad, her eyes still closed. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you before Third Impact."

"It's okay, Asuka-"

"No it isn't!" Asuka insisted, opening her eyes and looking directly into Shinji's eyes. "I was an absolute monster to you, and you have every right to tell me to fuck off and get out of your life." Shinji is about to respond but Asuka cuts him off again. "Don't try to say it wasn't that bad, either." her voice is sad, "I have no right to even be near you, anymore."

She attempts to get up but Shinji stops her, looking directly at her. "Please don't leave Asuka." he says softly, "I don't hate you."

"Of course you hate me." she snaps, "You have to hate me for being a total bitch. Heck, I even hate myself."

"Asuka. I don't hate you, I never did either."

"Idiot! How can you just-"

"Because, Asuka..." Shinji states firmly, cutting her off. "Deep down, I always knew you were a kind person at heart."

Asuka gasps and stares him straight in the eyes, but sees no hesitation in his voice. She smiles faintly as tears stream down her face. "You idiot..." she says in a soft, almost loving voice, as she wraps her arms around Shinji and hugs him tightly. She is only slightly surprised when Shinji hugs her back. The minutes drag on, neither saying those three simple words that would forever change their relationship, merely content with the knowledge that, in their hearts, they know they love each other and that they were together, neither of them wanting to separate.

After a short while, they pulled back from that embrace and, both closing their eyes, lean towards each other. Just as their lips are about to meet, the city alarm goes off, shocking them both and causing them to jump away from each other, blushing.

Speaker: "A state of emergency is in effect for the Tokyo-3 area. All citizens are advised to take shelter. I repeat..."

Asuka was NOT amused at having the moment ruined by a possible Angel attack. She swore in German for a good 30 seconds before she calmly down enough to speak in Japanese. "Damn bastards, why NOW?!"

Shinji sighs, "I guess we had better get to Nerv. Misato will have to drive us there." Just as he, regretfully, turns around, Asuka stops him. She turns him to face her and softly kisses him on the lips. Shinji's face is as red as a tomato.

Asuka looks embarrassed. "Well, I wasn't going to let some stupid Angel attack interrupt what we were going to do." She grabs Shinji's hand, "But, yeah. We better get back to the car quickly." She turns and starts running back the way they came, Shinji managing to keep up with her.

"R-Right." His voice and expression embarrassed, still feeling the warmth of Asuka's kiss on his lips as he follows her.

* * *

A/N: That went well I think. Yes, yes. It took awhile, but you'll have to live with it, huh? Anyways, another Crimson Angel is coming, can our heroes win?

A/A/N: I forgot to add this but.. Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever holiday you celebrate!

Read and Review


	13. Nature's Fury

A/N: It's funny. I imagined getting alotof reviews, but the story isn't even half over. I realized a few things. One, I'm going to have to change a number of things in the first 10 chapters (Not until the story is done, mind you). Two, at this point, I've somehow changed not only my original outline of the story (Which was pretty vague to begin with), but also my SECONDARY storyline. The second's changes weren't too bad, but the idea of having 50 chapters, as previously stated in an earlier chapter, might be changed. Three, I'm not really doing this for the reviews, but encouragement AND criticism could help me out here.

Bah, rambling AGAIN. Anyways, onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own this Anime, period. End of discussion.

A/A/N: There is some slightly mature material in this chapter. You were warned.

* * *

Two cloaked figures are overlooking the Geofront. One of the places a small red sphere on the ground, it slowly sinks into the ground. "There." Morlina's voice echoes from under the cloak from the figure that placed the sphere. "Garvanak will easily rip the Geofront to pieces, despite my distaste in his 'methods' and desires." Morlina turns to the other figure in black. "Did you tell SEELE which one we are sending?"

"Correct." the young man answers calmly. "They won't be of much use soon. As soon as we have Unit 01 and the completed Eva Series, we win."

* * *

The command center was buzzing with activity, alarms going off everywhere. Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki are standing at their usual spot, observing the Crimson Angel on the main screen. Ikari was not amused, especially considering how this Crimson Angel had penetrated into the Geofront. "Why was the target not detected earlier, Doctor Akagi?" he demanded in a cold voice.

"I don't know, sir." she replied in a flat voice. The object of their discussion resembled a large plant-based creature. It has numerous vines and thorns covering its main body which resembles a dome and attached to its base is a stem leading to a large crimson colored flower bud at the top.

"Sir! It's roots are starting to penetrate the first three floors in the northern section of HQ!" Maya reports.

"Where are the Children?" Ritsuko demanded.

"The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh are here, but the other three aren't even at Nerv yet!" Hyuga's voice responds.

'This is bad...' Ritsuko thinks to herself, then she speaks out loud. "Unit 03 is too damaged to fight so we'll hold it back unless necessary, Unit 05 is mostly repaired, so is Unit 06. Those two we can launch."

"Doctor Akagi." Gendo's voice echoes in the control room. "Send out Unit 04 as well."

Ritsuko looks startled. "But, sir-"

"This isn't open for debate." he cuts her off coldly. "It is the only fully repaired Eva Unit we can use right now. Launch it now."

"...Yes sir."

* * *

"Damnit! Why the hell did you take so fucking long to get your asses back here?!" Misato snaps at Asuka and Shinji driving her car, cutting off incoming traffic when she turns sharply in an intersection during a red light. "That alarm means there is a Crimson Angel nearby!"

"Sorry Misato." Asuka and Shinji say at the same time. They realize this and become silent again, the air seemingly awkward in the back seats where Asuka and Shinji sit, both avoiding looking at each other.

'...That's odd. I wonder if-' She thinks to herself before noticing an incoming truck. Misato swerves out of the way as the truck cuts her off. "HEY ASSHOLE!" she roars at the already out of earshot truck driver. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Misato look around, noticing no explosions or damage... yet. 'Where is the Crimson Angel...'

Her cell phone rings. She picks it up while driving, "Took you long enough to call, Ritsuko." she noted, finally reaching one of the gates that cars use to descend into the Geofront.

"Where the hell are you, Misato?!" Ritsuko demanded angrily.

"I told you earlier that I planned to take the kids out for a picnic. We just entered the lift elevator and heading down to the Geofront." she pauses, "What's the status of the Evas, and where the hell is that Crimson Angel?"

"Units 00, 01, 02, 04, 05, and 06 are able to be launched." Ritsuko replies flatly.

Misato raises an eyebrow. "You are going to use Unit 04?"

"Not willingly. Commander Ikari ordered me to use it."

"Eh? Commander Ikari did?" Misato demanded. Shinji's head rises sharply and looks at Misato, his fathers name getting his immediate attention.

"Yeah. As for your question to where the Crimson Angel is... well, look out the lift elevator window when you enter the Geofront."

Misato raises an eyebrow and looks out the lift window just as it enters the Geofront. A huge flower is seen with a multitude of vines streaming around its base. Misato stares at it in amazement, "Ritsuko...Please don't tell me..."

"Yeah. The first Crimson Angel to penetrate the Geofront."

"...How did it GET down here though?!" Misato demanded, noticing the other Children also looking with amazement at the Crimson Angel (Except Rei, who merely had an eyebrow raised.) "I thought the Magi could detect them!"

"...Unless someone or something brought its S2 Core down here before it woke up." Ritsuko's voice is bleak at this statement.

"...Ritsuko, are you suggesting SEELE infiltrated Nerv?" Misato's voice is worried.

"I don't know." Ritsuko sighs. "It's a good thing you are coming down through the eastern lift rather than the northern one. The Crimson Angel's roots have already penetrated the upper levels of the northern section."

"Okay. We'll be there in 15 minutes."

"Make it 10 minutes, Misato." Ritsuko hangs up.

* * *

Toji is muttering something about it being unfair that he can't pilot his Eva due to the heavy damage it took, but Ritsuko ignores him as she communicates with the other three Children. "Okay. The S2 Core has been detected in the targets flower blossom." she briefs the pilots. "Be careful. We have no idea what this Crimson Angel is capable of."

"Why not just set fire to the damn thing?" Sarah demanded in an irritated voice.

"It has an AT Field." Patrick states flatly. "And if it was that easy, we wouldn't be sent to fight it."

"Shut it, Patrick." Sarah retorts.

"Enough." Gendo's cold voice cuts off any further argument. "If you wish to bicker, do it on your time. Now go and destroy the target."

"Yes! It's time for Kensuke Aida, pilot of Eva Unit 04, to get back into action!" Kensuke cheers. Sarah and Patrick both snort, refusing to look at each other in the comm window.

Ritsuko sighs. "Launch them, Maya."

"Yes sir!" Maya launches them and looks at the sync scores. "Huh. That's weird."

"What is it, Maya?" Ritsuko asks, glancing that the scores. "What the...Why have both Patrick's and Sarah's scores drop by almost 7 points?" she demanded.

Maya frowns. "They were acting sort of strange today. Like they got into an argument."

"Damnit. We don't need this kind of idiocy happening now."

* * *

Units 04 and 05 arrive in the north-central section of the Geofront. Unit 04 grabs its' staff and Unit 05 grabs a positron rifle. Unit 06 is conspicuously absent. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Sarah's voice roars, Unit 06 stuck halfway up the launch shaft.

"...Maya, what's wrong with shaft 4?" Ritsuko's voice is angry.

"It looks jammed, Doctor Akagi." Maya replies nervously.

Ritsuko mutters something then opens a comm window to Unit 06. "Looks like the Eva launcher for you is jammed, Sarah. You'll have to climb up."

"WHAT?!" Sarah hears Patrick's voice chuckling over the intercom. "THIS ISN'T FUNNY, YOU-"

"Enough!" Ritsuko snaps at Sarah. "Now get moving!"

Kensuke didn't need to hear those words, as he was already halfway to the Crimson Angel, focusing on stealthas he gets in range of the target's S2 Core. He activates the positron rifle's sniper scope, which now had the added benefit of detecting an S2 Core when an enemy is projecting an AT Field. 'Now I just need to wait until it uses its AT Field and-' He watches with surprise as Unit 04 dashes past his sniping position, jumps into the air, and slams his staff down at the target. The impact force of hitting its AT Field shakes the nearby ground. Kensuke pulls down the sniper visor, getting a target reading on the Crimson Angel's S2 Core. "Yes!" he cheers, targeting its exact location.

Just before he fires, however, Unit 04 gets in his way. Kensuke blinks and opens a comm window to Unit 04. "Hey!" Kensuke was irritated over someone getting in the way of his target. "You're in my way of me targeting its S2 Core."

"...That isn't by choice." Patrick mutters darkly. Kensuke looks confused, quickly pulling the sniping visor off. He immediately saw what Patrick meant by that comment. Unit 04 has its arms, legs, and chest entangled in a mass of vines that are covered in thorns. The Crimson Angel obviously had some intelligence, noticing Kensuke earlier and is using Unit 04 as a shield. "Well, my sync must be lower because the pain isn't as bad as it usually is." he sighs, his voice strained from the thorns piercing his Eva's armor. "This might be a blessing though. Kensuke, do you still have a lock on the bastard's S2 Core?"

"Yeah, but I can't just fire at it with you in the way." Kensuke reminded him.

"Fire at him."

"...What?" Kensuke looks startled.

"Fire at him through me. As long as you miss my S2 Engine, I'll live." Patrick explains calmly, "My sync should be low enough to avoid fatal damage."

"...I refuse."

"We don't have time for this." he states flatly. "It won't expect this kind of attack, which is why it is using my as a shield. Remember, this thing is spreading roots into the Geofront, possibly injuring or killing people who aren't even fighting. It can even entangle your Eva using those roots, so hurry and shoot!"

"I refuse to shoot a friend just to win a battle!" Kensuke shouts.

Patrick becomes silent for a moment, then his eyes widen and he shouts "Behind you!"

"Wha-" Kensuke is unable to even react in time as vines erupt from underground and start to quickly wrap around the Eva. Kensuke, startled by the attack, panics and accidentally fires the sniper rifle. The beam goes straight through Unit 04's left midsection and directly where he targeted its S2 Core earlier. It screams in a shockingly insect-like voice and grows silent, the vines no longer moving.

* * *

"The target has gone silent." Maya reports.

Ritsuko frowns, 'That seemed too easy.' she thought to herself. Misato bursts through one of the doors and enters the command center, getting Ritsuko's attention. She glares at Misato, "You're late. Where have you been?" she demanded.

Misato manages to catch her breath in a few seconds. "Sorry, I got here as fast as I could. What's the status of the target?" Ritsuko points at the main screen, Misato looks at it and sees the Crimson Angel. The flower bud and stem are gone, rotted away. The rest of it, the vine-covered dome-shaped base is still intact. "Is it dead?"

"I think so. Unit 05 shot right through Unit 04 and into the S2 Core of the target."

"Eh?! Is Kensuke crazy or something?!" Misato looked both surprised and angry at the same time.

"Patrick asked him to do it." Ritsuko's reply cut off any retort Misato could say. "Anyways, we finally have a sample to study." Ritsuko's voice seemed slightly happy, but her face was worried.

Misato raises an eyebrow. "What's up, Ritsuko? I thought you'd be overjoyed to get a sample of Crimson Angel DNA to study."

"I guess but...defeating it seemed way too easy."

* * *

"Well...I can't move at this point...and my chest feels like it's on fire." Patrick notes dryly. Eva Unit 04 crashed into the ground when Kensuke shot through the blossom, killing it. However, the vines were still around him. He clutches the area that his Eva got shot through by the positron rifle attack, wincing in pain. "Nice shot, Kensuke. You nearly hit MY S2 Engine though."

"Sorry about that." Kensuke replies, "But I killed the Crimson Angel, right?"

"Yeah, looks like it." Unit 04 turns its head to look around. "You're late, Sarah." Patrick states calmly.

"Shut it, Patrick." Sarah retorts, "It's not MY fault that my Eva launcher malfunctioned and I was stuck climbing out." Unit 06 is approaching the two of them, carrying a dual-chainsaw. Sarah activates it and starts cutting the vines wrapped around Unit 05 first.

Kensuke looks at it curiously. "I didn't know we had THAT in the weapons cache."

"You learn something new every day." Sarah quote cheerfully.

"Stop stealing others' favorite lines, Sarah." Patrick mutters as Unit 06 cuts the last of the vines around Unit 05. "My mother used to say that line all the time. Besides, isn't your weapon the Prog. Spear?"

Unit 06 walks over to Unit 04 and begins cutting the vines entangling it next. "Unlike you, I choose the appropriate weapon for my opponent." Sarah snaps, "Seriously, what were you thinking anyways? Are you an idiot, using a staff against a plant?"

"I chose the weapon I'm best with, Sarah." Patrick retorts, "Besides, we managed to destroy the Angel, so what's your problem?"

"You have a HOLE in your Eva's chest." Sarah points out, "Perhaps if you chose a better weapon you wouldn't have that damage, hm?"

"The injury was by choice, Sarah."

"Uh huh," Unit 06 cuts the rest of the vines away from Unit 04. "That isn't likely. Even you aren't crazy enough to-" Sarah gasps, _"Shit!" _Unit 06 grabs Unit 04's right arm and throws him away from the remains of the Crimson Angel. Sarah jumps out of the way of the thorned vine swung at her Eva, which unfortunately shreds part of its right leg.

* * *

"The Magi are detecting activity in the target!" Hyuga's voice was bleak at this announcement.

"Damn! Did we miss its S2 Core?" Ritsuko demanded. "Maya, show me the camera feed when Unit 05 fired at its Core."

"Yes ma'am" Maya pulls up the recording of the time frame. Ritsuko goes up to it and types rapidly into the terminal next to it, altering the picture. Maya looks confused at this but plays it. The moment the Eva fired, a Red Orb is seen going down the stem from the flower bud to its base. "What the-" Maya looks stunned.

"What is it?" Misato demanded, also looking at it.

"I knew it was too easy. The Crimson Angel transferred its S2 Core from the flower blossom to its base the moment Unit 05 fired." Ritsuko explains, "It must have certain passageways it can use to move the Core. Maya, do the scans pick up anything?"

"They only pick up one passageway it could use. But it can't anymore since the stem decayed away." Maya responds, looking at the scan results. "The target doesn't seem to need any more of them, either. The vines that form the base are very strong, also as dense as steel."

"Hey! Send us out already!"

Ritsuko looks at a comm window that opened from Unit 02, Asuka's face is annoyed. "Okay, fine. Any objections, Major Katsuragi?"

"None, go ahead and launch them."

Alarms suddenly go off. "The targets vines have penetrated the Eva launch shafts!" Aoba shouts.

"Damn, are there any shafts unaffected?" Misato's voice was tense.

"The shafts that lead to the southern edge of the Geofront are undamaged." Hyuga reports. "Should we send them through there?"

Misato sighs. "I guess we have no choice but to do that." she opens communications with the pilots. "Sorry, you'll need to run from the southern end of the Geofront to the northern end."

Asuka mutters something to herself. "Are Kensuke and the others okay?" Shinji asks, concerned.

"They are okay for now, but you'd best hurry." Misato replies. Shinji nods at this. "Launch Units 00, 01, and 02 now!" Misato orders.

"Yes sir!" Hyuga responds.

* * *

Sarah cries out in pain, clutching her leg. _"Shit..that hurts.."_ She notices the top of the dome-like base of the Crimson Angel opens up and recreates its flower bud from before but with no stem, instead directly connected to the base. It slowly opens up, glowing with golden radiance. She gasps and opens a comm window to Units 04 and 05. "Get away from it now!"

The warning was too late however. The flower opens up completely, spreading pollen in the air. There was absolutely no time to react as the pollen entered both Unit 04's wound from the positron rifle and Unit 05's leg injury. Both pilots begin to feel numb, unable to move their muscles freely. _'Damn, I can't move...'_ Patrick says to himself.

* * *

"Bio-contamination in Units 04 and 06!" Maya looks horrified as she reports this chilling development.

"What?!" Ritsuko looks stunned. "Quickly, cut the nerve connections with the Pilots! We can't let them get contaminated as well."

"We can't!" Hyuga reports, "The Eva's aren't responding to our commands!"

"How are the Pilots?" Misato looks worried.

"The bio-contamination seems to be mainly affecting the Evas. The Pilots, however, are paralyzed due to the synchronization." Ritsuko frowns, "Luckily, Unit 05 isn't effected."

"How come, Ritsuko?" Misato demanded.

"Hmm, both the Evas affected have seriously injuries that have penetrated all the armor layers. Unit 05 doesn't have that serious of an injury so the pollen has to touch the Eva's main body under the armor to affect it." Ritsuko explains.

* * *

"Kensuke, avoid getting damage at all costs!" Misato orders, "If you get any serious injuries, that pollen will paralyze both you and your Eva."

"Yes ma'am." Unit 05 fires at the target's flower blossom but is blocked by its AT Field. Kensuke quickly changes his target to the base of the creature and fires, managing to burn the surface of it. Needless to say, it did not enjoy that attack. It screeches and lashes its vines at Unit 05, the thorns detaching and launched at the Eva. Unit 05 quickly blocks the swarm of thorns by projecting his AT Field. Kensuke smirks and fires multiple positron rounds at the Angel's vines, severing them from the target.

Suddenly, the Crimson Angel uses its vines to grab and entangle both Units 04 and 06. Unit 05 hesitates at this new development, holding his fire when the Evas are captured. Kensuke hears a chilling insect-like voice. "Surrender...or your friends will die." The Crimson Angel raises a vine with a circular mass of thorns at the end.

"Damnit..." Kensuke's hands are shaking, unsure of what he should do.

Patrick opens a comm window to Unit 05. "Kensuke, if you surrender then we will all die anyways."

"I know but...I just can't shoot..." Kensuke looks very shaken up, his voice strained.

'Kensuke won't shoot, he can't.' Patrick thinks to himself. 'He knows if he fires, we die. On the other hand, if he surrenders, we MIGHT live, but that is very doubtful.' He closes his eyes. 'Think! What can we do in this situation...'

* * *

Misato swears angrily. 'This is bad... If we don't do something soon...'

"Major Katsuragi." Ikari's cold voice interrupts her thoughts.

Misato turns around to face him. "Yes sir?" A cold fear enters her heart, believing Ikari will order Kensuke to shoot, condemning both of the Pilots captured to their death.

"Order the Sixth Child to lower his weapon."

Misato blinks with surprise, unsure if he heard Commander Ikari correctly. Many of the others in the control room had the same reaction to this. "Sir?"

"You heard me, Major Katsuragi. We cannot afford to lose Units 04 and 06 at this time. Now order Kensuke Aida to lower his weapon."

* * *

"Kensuke," Misato says softly. "Lower your weapon."

"Y-Yes ma'am." He manages to choke up, dropping his positron rifle.

The voice chuckles. "Naive fool!" The Crimson Angel lashes its vines out at Unit 05 before he can react, entangling him as well. It slashes a thorned vine on Unit 05's left arm, cutting deeply into it and allowing the pollen to enter it, paralyzing both Eva and Pilot.

'Damn.' Patrick swears to himself. 'If I use the Eva L.R. Program I'll end up killing myself due to the extent to my Eva's injuries. I'd gain nothing out of it either because my Eva is paralyzed. The self-destruct is possible, but I don't think I can take the risk that it wouldn't leave Units 04 and 06 intact. The only option left is...' Suddenly, the Crimson Angel's chilling voice interrupts his thoughts.

"Oh? I was unaware I was fighting a girl." It sneered, a hideous human-like face appearing on the Crimson Angel. "Times have changed. Back in the day when I was still human, women had no rights or privileges. They were mere slaves to me, forced to satisfy my desires."Sarah shudders, looking disgusted at such a story. "You have a nice body for your apparent young age. Are you in your early teens, girlie?"

_"None of your business, you sick perverted asshole."_ Sarah growls at him in English.

"Such a willful girl...You remind me too much of that bitch!" it roars, tightening the vines that entangle Unit 06. "At first, I was going to finish you all quickly." it snarls with malice, "But you all deserve complete and total humiliation for angering me! I'll start with YOU, girlie. I'm going to rip your Eva apart piece by piece and then defile your body continuously in front of all your friends until you beg for death." Sarah's face becomes horrified, unable to even speak out against such a cruel humiliation.

"Don't you DARE touch her!" Patrick roars at it.

"Yeah, you ugly bastard!" Kensuke voice is both disgusted and angry. "No one deserves that, no even Asuka. You have no right!"

"Silence!" the Crimson Angel roars. "My power give me the right to do what I wish. That's why after that willful bitch killed me centuries ago, I sold my soul for power! Now you will all watch helplessly as I tear her Eva and soul apart for enraging me." Its vines lash out continuously at Unit 06, cutting large gashes in the armor as it begins tearing the Eva to pieces.

* * *

Maya can't bear to watch, her own expression horrified as she remembers Unit 02 being torn to pieces by the Eva Series before Third Impact in almost the same way the Crimson Angel was tearing Unit 06 apart.

"Cut the nerve connect, eject the plug, do SOMETHING!" Maya orders Hyuga.

"We can't! The Eva won't accept our commands!"

"Oh my god..." Maya manages to choke out, "It's turning out the same way as when Unit 02 was torn apart by the Eva Series." She gasps as she checks all the Pilots sync scores. "What the-"

* * *

Sarah sees a purple figure blur between her and the Crimson Angel for half a second. The Crimson Angel screams in pain, all of its vines that it used to capture or restrain the Eva Units are cut. "Who dares-" It screech but is cut off by Unit 02's appearance right in front of the human-like face, the Eva holding what looks like an Eva-sized flamethrower.

"Eat fire, scheissekopf!" Unit 02's weapon fires a sheet of flames at it, burning its 'face' heavily. It screeches, unable to react or block the flames. Unit 02 glances to the far right of Unit 06, Unit 01 is standing there holding a Prog. Sword. "Shinji, get those three back away from this arschloch." Asuka's voice is enraged. "Rei, you help him too."

"Right." Shinji's voice is firm as he responds, stabbing his Prog. Sword into the ground and dashing to Unit 05 in half a second, half-carrying and half-dragging Unit 05 away from the battle. Unit 00 does the same for Unit 06, following Shinji away from the battlefield.

"Whoa, Shinji." Kensuke's voice is awed. "Were you the one who cut those vines? That was frickin AWESOME!"

"Oh, yeah. Thanks." Shinji replies, setting Unit 05 down outside the launch shafts Units 04, 05 and 06 used earlier. Rei sets down Unit 06 next to Unit 05, Sarah is still badly shaken. Both Units 00 and 01 dash back towards the battle. "Rei, can you take Unit 04 for me? I want to help Asuka." Shinji says softly.

"Very well, Shinji." Rei replies calmly.

Unit 02 runs out of fuel for the flamethrower and pulls out its Prog. Knife from the shoulder holster. "You scheissekopf" Asuka snarls, "You will suffer for treating women like playthings." The creature shrieks at her and lashes thorned vines at Unit 02, but they are easily severed.

Unit 00 carries/drags Unit 04 away from the fight. Patrick notices this and opens a comm window to Unit 00. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Moving you away from combat, Pilot of Unit 04." Rei responds in her normal monotone voice.

"Like hell you are. Take me back there, I'm going to kill that shithead for treating Sarah like that." he grated, some movement returning to his body.

"You are in no condition to fight effectively, you would only be a burden." Rei states flatly. "Besides," she added, her voice soft. "I think Sarah needs you right now."

Patrick swears angrily in English until he hears those last words from Rei, becoming silent. "Fine...but make sure it dies painfully." he closes the comm window.

* * *

"How many vines does this bastard have?" Asuka demanded angrily, cutting another thorned vine. Suddenly, three vines erupt from the ground behind Unit 02. "Shiest-" Before she can even react, Unit 01 severs the vines from the Crimson Angel. Asuka sighs with relief. "Thanks, Shinji."

"No problem, Asuka." Unit 01 begins working together with Unit 02, cutting down any vines that attempt to attack them, looking for an opening. Unit 02 manages to get closer to the Crimson Angel, even managing to get a few cuts on the targets main body.

Unit 00 soon returns, wielding Sarah's dual-chainsaw. The Crimson Angel screeches in rage, thrashing its vines at the Eva Units, but they are quickly and efficiently shredded to pieces by Rei. Unit 00 dashes straight at the Crimson Angel, cutting any vines that try to attack her, and slashing deeply into the Crimson Angel. Unit 00 jump away, leaving the dual-chainsaw embedded into the targets body as more vines try to lash out at her. Just as the Crimson Angel attempts to remove it from its body, Unit 00 picks up Unit 05's Positron Rifle, quickly aims at the chainsaw and fire, causing it to explode, blowing away a large chuck of its body and exposing its S2 Core.

The scream from the target is near deafening. Its vines lash out at random, unable to focus on attack the Evas. Units 01 and 02 dash straight at the target, Shinji slashing away any vines that get in the way of Unit 02. Asuka jumps straight at the creatures S2 Core and stabs it. "Die, arschloch." she snarls, twisting the Prog. Knife, causing the Core to explode with a large amount of force, knocking Unit 02 away into the air.

Unit 01 manages to catch Unit 02, then puts her down. "You okay, Asuka?" Shinji asks, opening a comm window to Unit 02.

"Yeah...thanks again, Shinji." Asuka replies, glancing at what remains of the target, which has starting burning to ashes.

* * *

"The target has gone silent." Maya reports, most of the control room cheering at this Crimson Angel's death.

Ritsukobreathes a sigh of relief. "Maya, you never got the chance to tell us what was up with the sync scores."

"Oh, right." Maya pulls up a screen, both Misato and Ritsuko look at it. "Sarah's sync dropped even lower, all the way down to 47. But Asuka and Shinji's sync scores both reached 100. Even Rei's score was higher than normal, she had an 87. That's a personal best for her."

Ritsuko looks surprised. "That's incredible..."

Misato is also amazed, but is more concerned about the Pilots that are injured. "How is Kensuke, Patrick and Sarah?"

"Kensuke has minor scratches on his body. Luckily, Patrick just has 1st degree burns on his chest where the positron rifle hit because his sync was so low." Maya responds. "Sarah has multiple cuts over her whole body. Besides that, she is alright physically."

"What about mentally?"

"She is very shaken up, otherwise her sync wouldn't have dropped so low." Maya replies sadly.

Misato becomes silent. Ritsuko responds immediately, "Have the medical teams retrieve the Pilots immediately."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

A/N: There you have it. Fun fact: The dual-chainsaw was used by Unit 02 in the Manga version of NGE against the 16th Angel. You should read the manga if you ever get the chance. Anyways, see you next time.

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	14. The Dark Plot

A/N: I've been getting temptations to speed the story along, but if I do I might make the same type of mistakes I made in the first 10 chapters (Which I will rewrite when this is all done with). If you haven't noticed, I've been using some stuff from the Manga to liven the story up. Anyways, onto the show (loosely speaking of course).

Also... I know it's nearly been a month but I have a life (unfortunately), as well as important tests that tested my writing ability and a project I did last minute (3 days before presentation in front of the class). That's my only excuse.

Disclaimer: Okay, you get it by now. I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

A/A/N: I will be using some religious stuff so you were warned...I guess (But then, religious stuff has already been heavily used in NGE so meh...)

* * *

Sarah mutters to herself darkly as she sits up on a bed in the Nerv hospital, throwing another hand-held mirror into the nearby trash bin. The reason for this is plainly written on her face, literally. Her face, arms, and hands all have multiple scratch marks on them. Sarah didn't even want to see the rest of her body, knowing she'd just see even more scratches. She was glad that Nerv was smart enough to install shades around the hospital beds since Sarah was last here, since it allowed her to hide her face from visitors that came to talk to either her or Patrick, who was laying down in the next bed over.

'At least they didn't put him in another room. My entire body feels sore.' Sarah thought to herself, shuddering as she remembers the thoughts going through her head when that.. THING was trying to tear her Eva apart. There is a knock on the door, startling her back to consciousness. "Who is it?" Sarah asks, pulling the shades around her bed.

"Just me." Ritsuko's voice is heard from outside the door, faintly amused. "You don't need to pull the shades around your bed shut."

Sarah sighs and lets go of them. Ritsuko enters with a small medical bag and clipboard pulling the curtains back all the way. Sarah quickly hides most of her body under the covers. "I'll need to examine your entire body, you know." Ritsuko points out. Sarah mutters something under her breath as she sits up at the edge of the bed, dressed in a very long plain white shirt. "Take off your shirt too." Sarah blushes and peeks over to Patrick's bed through the shades that separate them. He is fast asleep so she relaxes and, hesitantly, pulls her shirt off.

"Is this necessary?" Sarah demanded, trying to conceal her naked body.

"Yes, it is." Ritsuko frowns as she notices half a dozen broken hand-held mirrors in the trash bin next to Sarah's bed. "Can you PLEASE stop breaking mirrors every time you use one?" she demanded, aspirated. "I'm going to stop bringing you new mirrors if this keeps up you know."

Sarah glares at her. "Be my guest. Considering the fact I look like I wrestled with a thorn bush, I have some justification to break mirrors that SHOW that fact. I mean, LOOK at me!"

Ritsuko ignore this and examines Sarah's injuries, "Well, it looks like your injuries will fully heal in a few days. There will still be some scars left over though-"

"WHAT?! Ritsuko!" Sarah protests loudly. "Most of the cuts on my face are deep enough to leave scars! My entire image is practically RUINED!"

"Don't exaggerate." Ritsuko replies calmly, opening her medical bag and pulling out a small jar, placing it on the table near Sarah's bed. Sarah eyes it suspiciously, unsure of what it is. "This is a special type of cream recently developed to deal with scars." She explains, Sarah's cautious expression becoming one of joy. "If you are interested in testing-"

_"HELL YES!" _Sarah screams in English, but then realizes how loud she was. "Oh, sorry Ritsuko. Just got a bit excited about it."

Ritsuko rubs her ear. "I noticed. TRY not to rupture my eardrum next time you agree to test a new product." Sarah quickly takes the small jar from the table but before she can open it, Ritsuko takes it back. "Wait. You need to wait until the wounds fully heal before you use it. Understood?"

Sarah sighs. "Fine, so how long-"

Patrick yawns and pulls the curtains back, looking at Sarah. _"Sarah, I heard you shout. Is something-"_ he begins to say in English but his face becomes as red as a tomato after seeing Sarah without her clothes on.

_"PERVERT!"_ The sound of a slap is heard all the way down the hallway.

* * *

"Did you heard that?" Kensuke asked Toji curiously, his wounds wrapped in bandages. Sarah had vehemently objected to be wrapped in bandages due to the fact the scratches were everywhere, and refused to look like a mummy.

Toji shrugs. "Yeah, but it was probably nothing important."

"...Why am I stuck in the hospital when nothing is wrong with me though?" Asuka demanded, not speaking to anyone in particular. Asuka is staring at Shinji, who is laying down in the bed next to Kensuke, trying to pretend to be asleep.

Toji snorts. "What ISN'T wrong with you?" Toji was practically asking for it.

Asuka turns to face Toji, staring straight at him with an obviously feigned curious expression. What gave her away was two things. One was that she almost never controlled her expression when angered or annoyed. The other is that her face was betrayed by the fierceness in her eyes, which was so strong that it is surprising the gaze wasn't burning a hole through Toji's head. "What do you mean by that, Toji?" her voice sounded sweet, but tightly controlled. Kensuke, and even Shinji who is currently feigning sleep, immediately notices the danger signs and both of them gulp.

Toji, unfortunately, didn't get the hint. "Well, I'll start with your anger management issues, your stpid pride, your- hmm, actually... I sort of expected you to rage and rant by now-" That statement was interrupted by a cracking sound caused when Asuka punched his face in. Toji swears, grabbing Kensuke's bedsheet to control the blood coming out of his nose. "You BITCH. You broke my nose!" Toji moans angrily.

Kensuke takes one look at Asuka's face and decides he doesn't need her going after him to for sticking up for Toji. 'Even if he sort of had it coming there.' Kensuke thinks to himself silently. Instead, he trys to talk to Toji. "Umm, Toji... That's my BEDSHEET your using as a towel..." he points out.

"Shove it..." Toji mutters darkly.

Shinji sighs to himself and sits up quietly. He gets up and grabs the towel from the towel rack inside the nearby bathroom and throws it to Toji.

"Thanks Shinji." Toji mutters, now using the towel to control the bleeding.

Asuka glances at Shinji. "Are you done fake sleeping yet?" Asuka's voice is mildly curious but with a hint of annoyance.

"Err, you knew?"

Asuka sighs and rolls her eyes. "Of course I knew. You breathing was too fast to be sleeping, I noticed you open your eyes a bit a few times, and you made movements on the bed when we talked." Shinji blinks with surprise and is about to reply when Asuka talks first. "You want to know how I could tell all those things, right?" Shinji hesitates and nods. "Well, it's called observation. I've been mostly keeping an eye on you since you arrived here and 'fell asleep.' But then, you noticed that the four times you opened your eyes briefly."

Ritsuko enters the room without knocking. She immediately notices a number of things at once. Toji's bloody nose, the towel from the bathroom, bloody sheets, and Toji glaring at Asuka. She sighs, "Okay, WHY are those sheets bloody? Do you children know how hard it is to remove blood stains from white sheets?" No one responded, they merely stared at her. She sighs, shaking her head. "I guess you don't. I'm guessing Toji said something stupid and Asuka punched him, breaking his nose. Right?" Everyone nods. "Okay. Toji, come with me. We'll have to fix that nose of yours."

* * *

Sarah and Patrick avoided looking at each other, both still blushing at Ritsuko's suggestion before she left.

**Flashback (Five Minutes Ago).**

_"PERVERT!"_ Sarah screams, her face as red as a tomato as she slaps Patrick so hard that a red mark appears on his cheek (Or would if he wasn't blushing from seeing Sarah's naked body).

"Hey, I have an idea." Ritsuko says as Sarah quickly grabs her very long shirt, puts it on, and covers herself with the bed sheets. "After Sarah's wounds close, Patrick here can rub the anti-scar cream on the healed cuts." she smirks. "I'm SURE you'd LOVE your boyfriend rubbing that cream in other place too. Like your-"

_"SHUTUP!"_ Sarah and Patrick shout in unison, blushing furiously.

"Okay, okay. Just a joke, geez." Ritsuko shrugs, "Well, I better check up on the others. Knowing Toji, he'll end up annoying Asuka enough to end up staying in the hospital." She picks up the anti-scar cream and puts it in her medical bag. She gets up, walks to the door, and leaves the room.

**Present.**

_"Umm, sorry Sarah."_ Patrick says hesitantly. _"I didn't mean to-"_

_"I-It's okay." _Sarah replies. _"You didn't know so-"_

_"Right."_ Both of them say in unison and then the room becomes silent

_"...Patrick, I've been wondering..."_ Sarah's soft voice says after about ten minutes of silence. _"...How...Did dying feel?"_

Patrick blinks. _"What do you mean?"_

Sarah frowns. _"Let me try to rephrase it. You did die when during... Unit 04's activation test, right?"_ Patrick nods. Sarah hesitates again before continuing. _"Well, what... happens when you die?"_

_"Are you afraid of death?"_ Patrick asks softly, his eyes closed.

_"W-Well no but... I'm just curious because no one has died and come back to life before so..."_

_"...So you want to know what happened."_ Patrick finishes for her. Sarah nods. _"Hmm, well, the entire Nerv Branch and the surrounding area were destroyed so alot of people died."_ He chuckles, much to Sarah's surprise. _"Death changes a person's view point in ways you can't even begin to imagine. You see, the afterlife isn't that bad... as long as you weren't a bad person anyways."_

_"...That doesn't answer my question though."_

_"Oh, right. I'm getting sidetracked"_ Patrick thinks for a moment. _"Most of the people that died felt like they fell into a deep sleep at first and then they stood on the clouds at the Gate to receive Judgement."_ Sarah looks confused so Patrick sighs and tries again. _"Okay, you know there is Heaven and Hell and God and the Devil, right?"_ Sarah nods. _"Basically, everyone who dies seems to go to the clouds and wait to enter through the Gates of Heaven. However, before you enter Heaven-"_

_"So basically, it's like what happens in all those Bibles or whatever, right?"_ Sarah demanded, Patrick nods. _"Okay, you said MOST of the people that died. Does that include you?"_ Patrick shakes his head. _"What happened to you then?"_

_"My death was far different from everyone elses' due to a number of factors at the time. I was synchronized to an Eva Unit, which houses a human soul."_ Sarah blinks with surprise. _"You didn't know that huh? Okay, well the other factors was the activation of both the Eva Limiter Removal Program AND Project Lightbringer, both which weren't even ready for testing."_ Patrick hesitates. _"I was afraid you would die so I focused on protecting you rather than minimized the potential damage. Selfish, huh?"_

Sarah smiles and kisses his cheek. _"Yeah, but I'll forgive you. So, what happened when you died?"_

Patrick shudders. _"It wasn't the pleasant, deep sleep that everyone else told me they had before arriving before the Gates of Heaven. Frankly, it felt like my soul was being torn apart. When I managed to reach the Gates, I was afraid. Afraid that my selfishness to save you over potentially thousands would condemn me to Hell so I didn't want to receive His judgement yet. I chose to remain in the clouds, and every once in awhile I'd be able to drift down and keep an eye on you."_ He sighs. _"I didn't save your life just so you could mop around and refuse to move on with your life. Why didn't you just let me go?"_

_"...I just couldn't, Patrick."_ Sarah replied softly. _"So, the way you died... is that why you seem so different from the old Patrick I used to know?"_

_"Partly."_ Patrick lays back down. _"There were a few...unique changes that happened to me that no one else that died that day gained when they returned."_

Sarah looks at him curiously. _"Even if I ask, you won't tell me, right?"_ Patrick nods. _"Okay, at least tell me WHY you continued to pilot Eva after all that?"_

_"Two reasons. One is the same reason I chose to pilot in the first place. The other reason was I was perfectly suited for being Eva's pilot after Third Impact."_Sarah is about to interupt but Patrick continues. _"And no, I can't tell you why."_ He yawns, obviously trying to end the conversation. _"I'm going to take a nap, night'."_

_"Okay, Patrick."_ Sarah replies, still curious. _"Have a nice nap." _Sarah lays down softly, deep in thought. _'Why are you trying to hide things from me again...?' _She wonders to herself.

* * *

The meeting room for the strange cloacked figures has not changed much, besides another Crimson orb in the circle on the doorway no longer glowing. Four out of the five figures are sitting there, the only one missing is the young man.

"Well, that outcome was expected." Chivalt noted blandly, toying with a small dagger. "That asshole got overconfident and screwed the fuck up. That's what we get for letting the-" he says the next part with quotation marks, "-'Elemental Master' choose the next Crimson Angel." He smirked, both highly amused and happy that Darvin, the most intelligent of them, besides their Master, made a mistake in his choice.

The old man was hardly amused when Shalock laughed openly at his humiliation. "Wow, you have a great sense of humor Chivalt." Shalock's childish voice said cheerfully. "I didn't know you HAD a sense of humor."

"Silence." Darvin snapped, his old voice suddenly becoming firm, silencing Shalock's laughter. He glares angrily at Chivalt, his voice containing a veiled threat. "I suggest you wipe that smirk off your face." Chivalt's eyes narrow slightly, but there is no change in expression. "Perhaps I need to remind you that the one YOU suggested-" He points at the center of the table, where an image of the 3rd Crimson Angel, Centuron, appears. "Ended up not only failing miserably, but fucked up SO badly, that our Master had to make sure he didn't tell them our plans!" Chivalt's expression grew annoyed at the reminder of his failure. "Considering your incompetence, I'm shocked our Master puts up with your sheer stupidity."

Shalock laughs, this time at Chivalt. "He's right, Chivalt. You screwed up even more than 'Sir Know-It-All' here." he said in an amused voice, clearly refering to Darvin.

"...Stand up, Darvin." Chivalt says darkly, throwing the dagger he was toying with away, slowly standing up, and reaching under his cloak for his sword. "It's time for you to learn your place." Shalock stops laughing and glancing at Morlina nervously, who has not said a word since the meeting began.

Darvin stares calmly at Darvin then picks up his staff and also stands up. "You seem to be serious this time." His voice was quiet. He pulls his hood off, revealing his weathered and old face. He has both long white hair and a beard, his face lined with wrinkles.

"I am, old man." Darvin responds, his eyes narrowed as he removes not only his hood, but his entire robe, revealing the fact he has been wearing European medieval age plate armor with some slight differences, such as short, small spikes on various part of the armor. The only thing missing is a helmet. His face seemed to show that he was in his mid 30s, his black hair slightly spiked upward.

Shalock's voice becomes nervous as the air around the two crackles with energy. "Um, don't start a fight here. Our Master might be annoyed if you two wreck the room." Just as they moves toward each other, both intending to seriously fight, a huge clawed five-fingered hand slams between them, both Chivalt and Darvin are inbetween the clawed fingers of the hand. The clawed hand is covered in various places in what appears to be scales, and the areas not covered show black skin. The hand is larger than the table, both Chivalt and Darvin are frozen in fear.

**"ENOUGH!"**A blood chilling voice roared. Everyone, even Morlina, flinches violently. **"If you continue with this idiocy, I will kill BOTH of you!" **Flames come out from between the scales on the clawed hand, threatening to burn both of them.

Both Chivalt and Darvin quickly lowered their weapons, both of them very afraid. Morlina slowly rises to her feet, her eyes filled with fear.

The clawed hand's flames die down, it rises and pulls back into the shadows. A moment later, footsteps are heard and the young man, wearing a hooded cloak, appears out of the darkness where the claw came from. "What the hell were you two thinking?!" The young man's voice was angry, something that rarely happens. "Are you trying to make so much of a disturbance that Nerv detects our location?! Or were you both too stupid to understand that?!"

"But-" Darvin begins but becomes immediately silent after seeing the young man's eyes filled with fury.

The young man turns to glare at Morlina and Shalock, both of them flinch violently at his gaze, clearly afraid at this point. "...And what were you two doing?" he demanded, his voice irritated but less angry. "Shalock, I expect this type of idiocy of non-interference, and even encouraging, the idea of fights between members here. Morlina, however, I expected YOU to interfere at least. So, where's your excuse?"

"M-My Lord." Morlina's voice is slightly fearful, "I did not believe they would actually fight each other seriously here, so I chose not to intervene. Please forgive me."

The young man glares at her. "Very well. However, don't let it happen again." Morlina nods quickly and sits back down. The young man glanced at the chair where he usually sits and vanishes, reappearing in his chair, sitting down. "Sit back down, Darvin, Chivalt." His tone of voice left no room for arguments, both of them quickly sat back down. "Now, since there are obviously...ISSUES with you two picking the next ones to reawaken with the stones..." he notes in a flat voice, point at the small, open box similar to one that holds jewelry. The box is missing six out of the twelve crystals. "I have already chosen and awakened the next of our what the Lilim called 'Crimson Angels.' However, Gormarc has not begun to move out...yet. He will strike when the time is right."

"You awakened the Earth Manipulator already? Aren't you taking them TOO seriously?" Darvon's voice seems slightly fearful from earlier. "Not only having the ability to manipulative rock and ground with his AT Field, but also known to have a nearly indestructible armor."

"Wait.. you mean Gormarc of the Adamantine Shell?" Shalock's childish voice spoke out. "I thought he had impervious armor and that's all. He could launch his spikes from his shell armor doing massive damage around himself, but I didn't know he could move earth and rock with an AT Field."

Morlina sighs. "Obviously, you didn't do ANY research on our Master's servants." she looks at the young man. "My Lord, why don't we just infiltrate Nerv personally, take Unit 01 and kill the Pilots ourselves?"

The young man sighs. "We can't, for a number of reasons. The Eva Pilots, all of them, would be able to see us."

"What's the issue with that?" Shalock asks curiously. "Just cause they can see us doesn't mean they'll be able to stop us from killing them easily."

"We can't take that chance." he says flatly. "If we fail to take out certain Pilots immediately, we'll have problems. We DON'T want Unit 01 fully awakening, it'll easily be a match for all of us."

Darvin looks calmly at the young man. "My Lord, why not send SEELE agents in to kill the Pilots instead? That way, Nerv won't find out more about our existance and the Evas won't realize the danger we could bring."

"Hmm, that isn't a bad idea." the young man stands back up. "I'll speak with SEELE about it." He walks into the shadows of the vast room and vanishes.

"Something has been bugging me." Shalock comments, "Everyone here has been making Unit 01, as well as its Pilot, seem like a huge threat. Why is that?"

Morlina sighs, shaking her head. "Someday, you'll actually stop acting like a child, grow up, and learn to listen and pay attention." Shalock pouts at this but Morlina continues. "Unit 01 was the instrument of Third Impact and-"

"I know that." the boy snaps at her. "But it is confirmed it no longer has the absolute power it acquired during Third Impact any longer. As soon as the brat piloting Unit 01 called off the Human Instrumentality Project, or whatever it was called, it lost that power completely."

"You really aren't in any position to call a person a brat, you know." Darvin mutters to himself, then speaks calmly to Shalock. "You don't understand much about the Evas do you? They contain a human soul, allowing the projection of an AT Field. That is just the tip of the iceberg for the Evas."

Shalock glares at Darvin. "You aren't telling me anything I don't already know. I know that our plan involves using Unit 01 and SEELE's Eva Series to initiate Fourth Impact, allowing us to gain and control the absolute power it will bring. What I DON'T get is why you feel Unit 01 is a threat as it is NOW."

"Because...The Evas have never been fully awakened." Morlina says softly. "Unit 01 was very close to it when fighting the Fourteenth Angel and again recently during the fight with SEELE's Eva Series."

"You mean those wings? I don't get the connection though." Shalock frowns. "Before it just went berserk with an absurdly high-sync ratio. This time, it was the same story except the Eva had wings and the Pilot was in...control..." his eyes widen.

"It seems you get it now." Chivalt states flatly. "The Evas true power has never been awakened because of the armor it wears, which acts like a seal to its full potential. Humans can't control the true power of the Evas, which is why the armor is used in the first place." He pauses, leaning back in his chair.

Darvin continues where Chivalt left off. "The full power of Eva was shown in Third Impact. That event was to allow a single being to have absolute control of an Evas true power, rather than having it go berserk. Recently, Ikari's son shows he has more control over Unit 01 than the other Pilot ever had over their Evas. If this continues, he might be able to match even us in strength."

"Why not kill him now then?" Shalock demanded, bringing up his earlier point. "If he is THAT dangerous, we should kill him ourselves immediately."

"Shalock, please understand." Morlina says calmly. "If we attack him personally, there is a high chance that Unit 01 will fully awakened. His mother's soul, Yui Ikari, resides in the Eva and will not allow us to attack him personally. Not even the armor that binds the Eva to Nerv's command will stop her."

Shalock pouts. "Fine, I get it." He stands up and walks away into the darkness of the room. The room becomes silent, the light from the glowing symbols on the table and doorway the only thing keeping the darkness at bay. The remaining three stand up and also walk into the darkness, vanishing from view.

* * *

Elsewhere in an unknown location, a man by the name of Keel Lorenz is sitting in a large room lit by dim ceiling lights with bookshelves that contain mostly data on Nerv, the Evas, the Angels, and various notes and documents on Second and Third Impact. The only exception to this is a large scroll that has been worn down by age placed on the desk in front of him. Kiel is focused on reading the scroll, using a desk light to allow him to see the scroll clearly, and therefore unaware when the young man from earlier appears in the far corner of the room. "Hello, Keel," he says in conversational tone of voice.

Keel looks startled but quickly recovers. "Hello, my Lord." he tries to reply in a calm voice, but is still shaky.

"Are you afraid of me, Keel?" the young man sounds amused, referring to Keel's reaction to his presence.

"No, my Lord." Keel responds, completely calm now. "You merely startled me by appearing out of thin air."

The young man pays no attention to this. "It seems you have been keeping up with your studies." he notes, pointing to the scroll Keel was reading earlier.

Keel nods. "Yes, this document has been quite enlightening. I can never thank you enough for giving this lost piece of the Dead Sea Scrolls to me."

"You already know what I truly am, of course." Keel nods, so the young man continues. "Obviously, my true name would attract attention in the outside world, so I think I'll down a different name."

Keel raises an eyebrow at this. "No offense, but why would you need to move around in the world as a normal person?"

"Simple, I plan to infiltrate the U.N. and take it over."

"...So, the prophecies predicting the actions you'll take are true?" Keel asks calmly.

He chuckles, "That's right but, unlike the prophecies, I won't be stopped. The world will belong to my master."

"I'm sure just informing me about your plan of taking over the U.N. isn't the only reason you've come here."

The young man smiles faintly from under his hood. "That's right Keel." he replies, "I've awakened Gormarc of the Adamantine Shell, and he will ravage Nerv using his manipulation of earth and rock."

"I see..." Keel frowns as he opens a drawer in his desk and pulls out three photos, placing them on the table. "However, I suggest you warn him what to expect."

The young man picks up the photo and glances at the first one. It is a picture of Unit 01 during the time Shinji reached 300 sync ratio when SEELE's Eva Series was attacking. "I know this already, Keel. I was watching the battle and was nearly detected." He looks at the second photo, narrowing his eyes. "What is this, Keel?"

"A picture I managed to acquire with a great deal of difficulty. It was taken during the Simulation Battle between the Second and Third Child." Keel explains. The photo is one of Unit 01 with the two diamond-shaped wings when inside its Eva Cage.

"...I see. The boy is starting to get more dangerous." The young man then looks at the third photo and, this time, his eyes widen. "Is this true, Keel?" He demanded.

"I had trouble believing it too, my Lord." The photo in question was one of Unit 02 while inside its Eva Cage. There is nothing out of the ordinary, except the fact it has two diamond-shaped wings like Unit 01 did.

"...This was also taken during the Simulation Battle?" Keel nods. "...The Children are starting to awaken their Evas faster than I predicted." He becomes silent for a few moments then continues. "Keel, I need you to send some of your agents into Tokyo-03 and either kill or capture the Pilots."

"Very well, I see the necessity of such actions." Keel picks up the nearby phone and begins dialing it. "When will you want them to strike, my Lord?" He hears no response and looks up. "My Lord?" The young man is gone, but there is a note on the table which reads...

_'In seven days, at nightfall.'_

* * *

A/N: I know, I KNOW. I haven't updated much at all. I'll be frank though. I lost my inspiration on what to do next and then, 'poof', it came to me. Not a good excuse but meh. I never planned on Shalock being totally naive on the plans and such, but I did need an excuse to explain stuff (Or just make enough words for a decent chapter, your choice). Anyways, until next time!

Read and Review!


	15. The Assassination

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sure that all my readers have figured out what exactly the 'Crimson Angels' truly are, so why continue to hide it? I also plan to use SOME religious stuff, but it isn't my main focus. Honestly, I'm not much of a religious person and I'm not here to teach it, just write a story with some stuff from religion. Finally, the pilots will be told the truth (Part of the truth) and, hopefully, survive the coming attack from SEELE agents (Obviously, they'll survive. I'll get flamers if I kill good guys off this early).

A/A/N: I've refined the end a bit. Sorry, I was kinda tired at the time. Also, the names SEELE's agents were using are code names. I was going to use B(dot)Agent01, but when I saved, everything but the 01 was left so... no cool code names there, huh?

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

One week later...

"Very well. I'll expect them here in five days." Commander Ikari is speaking on the phone with the head of the Nerv Branch in Germany when Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki enters his office. Ikari notices Fuyutsuki and decides to finish up his call, having something more important to discuss. "There is no need to continue development on new S2 Engines. Two from you, two from China, and two from the U.S. will be enough to supply S2 Engines for all Eva Units." He listens then cuts off the person on the other end, his voice cold. "The U.S. is supplying the nearly constructed Unit 07 with an S2 Engine, and we already have the perfect candidate in Tokyo-03. I'd advise you stop attempting to interfere with how Nerv HQ plans to deal withthe crisis. Now, I have more important tasks to do then listen to you blather pointlessly about a decision that has already been made." He hangs up.

Fuyutsuki looks faintly curious about the call and is surprised when Commander Ikari actually tells him. "Germany desires more favor from Nerv, which is why they decided to volunteer creating more S2 Engines and even choosing a Pilot for the newly constructed Unit 07."

"The you must have chosen a candidate already, Commander Ikari?" Fuyutsuki asks, walking over to his desk.

"Correct." Ikari hands Fuyutsukia folder labeled 'The Eighth Child.' "The Pilot shows leadership skills, a calm mind, and a great deal of intelligence. Ritsuko will be calling the Pilot while in school on the 14th and ask her if she is interested."

Fuyutsuki nods, opening the folder. He doesn't show much surprise that Ikari's choice. "This Pilot is most likely the best choice of the potential candidates currently attending the school, even better than Kensuke Aida." He looks at Commander Ikari, whose face is impassive. "Why didn't you choose her to pilot Unit 05 instead of Kensuke though?"

"I was uncertain if she would choose to fight after the incident with the Thirteenth Angel."

"Ah, that does make sense." Fuyutsuki closes the folder. "You are certain, then, that she will choose to pilot for us?"

"Reasonably certain, yes." Ikari replies calmly. "The Nerv Base in Germany has finished the S2 Cores for Eva Unit 00 and Eva Unit 02. They will be here in five days."

"That's good news. They could really use the unlimited activation time the S2 Engine provides." Fuyutsuki pauses. "What about the S2 Engines China and the U.S. are developing?"

"China has nearly completed one of them and is starting construction on the second. The United States, however, are complaining about a lack of 'resources' to construct them and have not even begun development on them." Ikari's voice is cold as he says this. "They promise to 'help' us in the U.N. conference in London, but stall the construction of the S2 Engines for Eva Units 06 and 07."

"Did they have an excuse?" Fuyutsuki pauses, glancing at Ikari's expression. "A reasonable excuse?"

"Yes. They claimed they rushed the reconstruction of Unit 04 and, therefore, wasted a great deal of resources when they made mistakes in its reconstruction."

Fuyutsuki frowns, "It is, however, a good thing they wasted those resources. If nothing else, it did allow Unit 04 to arrive at the perfect opportunity to help us against SEELE's Eva Series."

"That is true." Ikari frowns slightly. "I believe that the Pilots deserve to know the truth about the creatures we are fighting."

Fuyutsuki blinks with surprise. "Are you certain that is wise?" his voice was troubled. "Major Katsuragi handled it quite well when she was told but the Pilots are just children."

"Viewing them as 'children' is naive thinking Fuyutsuki. Though, at first, I also believed this." his face became impassive. "They have all shown great maturity and have the right to know the truth." He looks calmly at Fuyutsuki. "Call Aida and Suzahara and inform them I wish to see them."

"Yes sir."

* * *

The sun was slowly setting on March 12, 2016 (Yes, this IS the current date story wise), which marked the sixth day Shinji, Asuka, and Rei were out of the hospital. Kensuke and Patrick got out two days later and Toji, much to his annoyance, was stuck staying another day after they were released due to his broken nose. However, Sarah had to stay six whole days in the hospital. The three original pilots were kept there for observation due to their high sync ratio, but had no side-effects. Shinji's DNA had something odd in it but the Magi determined that it wouldn't in any way cause physical or mental harm. In fact, it would increase his overall sync ratio without any disadvantages to himself. Kensuke was released the morning that marked his third day at the hospital, due to the fact most of his injuries had healed. Patrick was released later that day, his wounds more severe than Kensuke, due to his reckless idea of Kensuke shooting through him to destroy the Crimson Angel's S2 Engine. When Ritsuko released Sarah from the hospital, still had scars from the 5th Crimson Angel, but most of them had faded away thanks to Ritsuko's Anti-Scar cream (For which Sarah was eternally grateful for). Her face still had a couple of scars, but they were mostly faded away so they couldn't be noticed very easily.

In the Katsuragi apartment, life there was slightly different. Misato might not be a genius like Asuka was and she did drink a lot at times, but she was not blind. Shinji and Asuka were, in her words, acting quite awkward around each other. They got along better, argued less (which Misato was grateful for), tended to be around each other more often, and refused to look each other in the eyes, both avoiding the others' gaze. Misato noticed this behavior just as they were headed to Nerv during the 5th Crimson Angel. She personally had no idea what was up. Sure, she had suspicions, but nothing else.

Rei, who was sharing Asuka's room, had a more refined viewpoint of the situation between Shinji and Asuka. Her expressionless face, calm behavior, and great insight made many people label her as a strange person, tending to mostly avoid her. This was further enforced by her albino features, her blue hair, and red eyes. She had next to zero understanding of human emotions. The first person, besides the Commander, who showed her any kind of feelings was Shinji Ikari. To her, he seemed like a fellow Pilot, but eventually she felt like he was someone very important in her life, like Commander Ikari was. She learned after Third Impact that she shared Yui Ikari's DNA, which explained to herself what those feeling she felt came from. Despite this, her feelings were difficult to express, but she was slowly learning how to express her feelings and moods, almost unconsciously. This slow understanding of mood, feelings, and emotions, as well as her own insight, allowed her to more accurately determine the situation developing in the apartment. She determined the behavior to be 'Love' and decided to merely observe them, slightly amused at the fact they refused to admit this fact to each other.

The phone began ringing, causing Shinji and Asuka, who were watching TV together and were unconciously holding each others' hands, to almost jump in surprise. Rei is sitting on a nearby chair, still observing their behavior. Misato, who was in the middle of drinking beer, grumbled as she had knocked over a beer can as she got up to answer the phone. "What?" her voice is slightly annoyed, but mostly friendly.

"Is there a problem, Major Katsuragi?"

Her expression became surprised and slightly nervous, realizing the person on the other end. "No, it isn't a bad time Commander Ikari. Sorry, I was just-" Shinji and Asuka's attention was now on Misato rather than the TV, which Asuka muted to try to listen in. Even Rei was interested in the call, as Commander Ikari rarely calls anyone without some good reason.

"-Just drinking beer." Ikari's voice was calm as he finished her statement for her. "Your drinking habits are part of the reason I don't give you a raise. It shows that you are irresponsible, putting the Pilots well being second to your own." Misatowas enraged with this obviously untrue statement, but held her tongue. "...However, I am not calling you because of your bad habits. You are to bring the Children to Nerv HQ immediately. It is time to inform them the truth about the Crimson Angels."

Her eyes widen, unaware of the three Pilots paying complete attention to her. "...I could just explain the situation to-"

"Incorrect. I have new information that you must also hear. Also, inform The Fifth and Seventh Child to go to Nerv as well."

"...Yes sir." She hands up and looks at them, not too surprised they were watching her. "I'm going to bring you three to Nerv HQ, Commander Ikari's orders."

"What did you mean, 'Explain the situation' Misato?" Asuka demanded. "Have you been hiding stuff about Nerv AGAIN?!"

Misato sighs, "Not by choice, but Ikari plans to tell everyone-"

"Why not tell us here then? Since you obviously know-"

"He says he has new information." Misato's voice is annoyed. "Now, I'm going next door to tell Patrick and Sarah. I expect you all to be ready to go when I get back."

* * *

Sarah cheered about being released after school ended yesterday on Friday, but was immediately disappointed and annoyed when Serena informed her that Patrick got all the work she missed from the teacher and was expected to finish it by the time the weekend was over. Despite this annoyance, her expression became happy when she remembered what day it was tomorrow and sped through half her work in three hours after dinner that evening before going to bed.

Five Minutes Earlier...

_"WHY don't you want to celebrate your birthday?"_Sarah demanded, glaring at Patrick. Patrick is leaning back in a chair, reading Manga. _"You turned Fifteen!"_

Patrick turns a page of his Manga. _"It isn't a big deal. Just another day."_

Sarah mutters to herself briefly then continues. _"What about the fact you get presents, eat cake, and that you are older and get more privileges?!"_

Patrick glances at Sarah then back at his Japanese comic he's reading. _"Like I said, not a big deal. A year closer to dying of old age."_

She gives up at this point, stalking away toward her room to at least get her present for him. When she gets back, she promptly throws her present with all her power, which is wrapped and in a box, right at Patrick's face. He clutches his face, obviously in pain. _"OW! What was THAT for?!"_

_"For having such a cynical view of life."_ Sarah retorts.

Patrick glares at her, _"Well, SORRY. Dying one time already brings a different point of view about life and death."_

Sarah sighs and kisses him on the cheek. _"What am I going to do with you?"_ she mutters to herself.

He kisses her back. _"I'm sorry. Thank you for the present."_

Patrick is just about to unwrap his present when the sound of someone knocking on the door is heard. Serena, who was watching the children, gets up and opens the door. "Oh, hi Misato."

"Hello Serena." Misato replies, looking past her. "Are Sarah and Patrick here?"

"Yes they are." Serena raises her eyebrow. "Do you need to talk with them or something?"

"Yes, or rather, Commander Ikari does." Misato responds. "He wants to talk with all the Pilots immediately."

"...Does he not know how late it is getting?" Serena remarks, points out at the sun, which has almost set.

"He probably does, but it is likely important enough not to wait. Can you drive them to Nerv HQ?"

"I guess I can, if I had directions there." Serena sighs, "You can't take them because you don't have enough room in your car?" Misato just nods, "Okay, we'll be ready in five minutes."

* * *

In a nearby building filled with shadows, a man slowly hangs up the phone he is using, looking at the other five people surrounding him. The phone is connected to a listening device. "It seems Gendo Ikari is actually useful to us. Had the Children stayed in their apartment, they'd be better protected. On the move, however, they'll make easy targets." The man comments.

Another man chuckles, "Ikari would be pissed if he realized he is helping SEELE. Unintentionally, of course."

"Alright." A third man says, the tallest of the six people. "Our main targets are the First, Second, and Third Child. Any others Pilots we can kill would be helpful, but we must absolutely not fail killing those three." He turns on a small flashlight, which shines on a map of the city. "The fastest route to Nerv is down this path." The man opens a red marker and draws on the map, labeling the fastest route from Misato's Apartment to the quickest way to the Nerv HQ. "However, it's possible they'll just choose the quickest way to the Geofront instead." He opens a blue marker and draws another path from the apartment to a nearby elevator to the Geofront.

"We'll split up, just in case." He points to two of the men who haven't spoken yet, "You two will come with me and take positions the the first route." They nod. He looks at the other three, two of which have already spoken before. "You three take the second route." They also nod. "Any questions?" Everyone remains silents. "Good, time to move out. Remember, failure isn't tolerated."

* * *

Sarah looks around nervously, feeling a chill going down her spine. She is not alone in this feeling, however. Misato seems tense as well, looking around sharply for anything unusual. Even the other Pilots and Serena feel something is wrong. "I don't like this." Asuka mutters to herself.

"Okay, Serena." Misato looks at her. "The best idea for you would to go through elevator 22, the easiest route to the Geofront. It's longer than the route to Nerv, but it is nearly impossible to get lost along the way."

"Okay, but why not follow your car to Nerv HQ then?" Serena asks curiously.

"Because there is always the possibility something might happen on the way there and if we get separated, you'll be unable to find the way back." Misato explains.

"Okay, fine."

"Hey!" Asuka snaps, getting everyone's attention. "Why are we just STANDING here?"

"Good point." Misato replies calmly, no one noticing a figure dressed in a trench coat and hat quietly approaching from the sidewalk. "We should head out now." She hears a footstep behind her, sharply turns around, pulling her handgun out and point it at the nearby figure. She pulls the trigger but her gun doesn't fire.

"Geez, Misato." A familiar voice comments from under the hat and trench coat. "You wouldn't actually SHOOT me would you?" He takes off the hat, revealing it is Kaji! "Lucky for me, you forgot to take the safety off."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Misato demanded. "And where have you been?"

"Oh, I've just been looking around, you know." He replies slightly cheerfully.

"Spying in other words?" Misato snaps, then looks at everyone else after she says this. "Get in the car."

The Children weren't exactly happy about being so rudely told to get in their respective transportation, but they decided not to comment. "That's just a blunt way to put it." Kaji complains. "And you shouldn't be so cold to the children."

"How about snooping, sneaking, or stalking?" Misato retorts.

"Those don't sound much better." His face becomes serious, "I've been spying on SEELE and have just returned. Commander Ikari sent me personally to tell you that-"

"Why not use a phone?"

"...Misato, think. Calls can be easily intercepted." His face becomes bleak now. "SEELE has sent assassins to take out the Pilots."

Misato becomes silent. Serena, who has stayed silent, decides to speak. "I'm not letting you take them anywhere, then."

"They'll be safer in Nerv HQ than the apartment." Kaji explains.

"...Are they already here, Kaji?" Misato asks quietly.

"Most likely. We'd best get the children to Nerv as quickly as possible. Their main targets are the First, Second, and Third Child, so we'd best separate them." Kaji thinks for a moment. "Shinji and Asuka will be in your car, Misato. I'll also be riding with you. Rei will ride in Serena's car, as well as Patrick and Sarah."

Serena blinks. "How did you know my name?"

"He's a spy, making it easy to snoop and sneak information out of people." Misato remarks. "Also, where the hell is Section 2? Shouldn't they have caught them immediately?"

"Misato." Kaji says in a hurt voice, but then becomes serious again. "As for that, Section 2 has already caught four of them. They managed to interrogate one of them before he was killed by one of their snipers, and we found out their main targets and the fact there were twelve of them total. Now, your driving plan for the both of the cars is good so-" Kaji is cut off by Misato, whose face is shocked.

"How did you-"

"I overheard it on a listening device Nerv placed on your car." Kaji explains.

"Fine, I guess I should be used to this kind of thing..." She sighs and then faces Rei, who is sitting in the front seat of her car. "Rei!" Misato calls to her. Rei raises an eyebrow and leaves Misato's car, walking over to her.

"Yes, Major Katsuragi?" Her voice is it's usual emotionless tone.

"You'll be riding in Serena's car."

"...Very well." Rei's voice was faintly disappointed, but no one catches this.

"Okay Kaji, lets go." Misato walks over to her car, but looks over to Serena, who is almost at her car door. "Good luck out there."

Serena nods.

* * *

One of the SEELE's agents watch as the two cars that are carrying the Pilots go in different directions. He frowns and turns his radio on. "This is Gran to Viper. The Second and Third are heading your way, driven by the Major." He pauses. "Nerv's spy, Kaji, has also joined them."

"...This might be a problem. He might have tipped them off to the assassination attempt." Viper responds, being the person who divided the six agents up earlier. "Where is the First?"

"Riding with the Fifth and Seventh. Driven by the Fifth's caretaker." He connects someone else to the channel. "Did you hear that, Sever?"

"Yeah." Sever responds, being the person who chuckled about Ikari unintentionally helping them earlier. "Tech will be overjoyed to see the Fifth again."

"Make sure the First dies, Sever." Viper says flatly.

"Understood."

* * *

"What?!" Asuka demanded, looking both angry and slightly fearful. "SEELE sent people to kill us?!" Kaji nods, having just explained the situation to Shinji and Asuka. "What the hell! Those damned cowards are afraid to fight us fair and square?!"

"Calm down, Asuka." Shinji says quietly, laying his hand on hers.

"F-Fine." Asuka's face becomes red but she doesn't remove Shinji's hand.

Kaji is tempted to comment at this scene but decides not to. He glances at Misato, who is also noticing the lack of cars on the road. "It seems like ideal conditions for SEELE, huh?" Misato doesn't answer so he continues. "Very few cars on the road, even fewer people. No way to confuse their target with someone else."

"I noticed." Misato snapped. "Also, you'd better have a gun for yourself in case they seriously attack us."

"Of course." Kaji pulls out a pistol. "We can hope Section 2 catches them before they try though."

"True..." Misato then notices a small red light point at Kaji's chest. "SHIT!" She takes a sharp right turn just as a bullet is fired and, instead of hitting Kaji, it hits her cars' left rear tire, forcing her to slow down.

Kaji noticed the light just as Misato did the turn. "Thanks Misato. That was way too close." He looks around at the street they are on. "We have a few more streets to go down, Misato. I'm sorry, but we'll probably have to ditch the car and go on foot. It'll be faster and easier to avoid detection by taking the alleyways."

Misato didn't take the idea of abandoning her car well but saw the necessity of it. The Pilots' safety was more important at this point. "Okay. Asuka, Shinji. Get out of the car after we signal its safe." She opens the door quickly, pulling out her handgun and running over to the nearby alley. She looks around, not noticing anything amiss. She nods to Kaji.

Kaji nods back and opens his door, "Okay, get moving you two." Shinji and Asuka slowly get out of the car on Asuka's side, which was behind Misato's seat. They dash to the alley, which Misato has already began scouting. After they reach the alley, Kaji dashes to the alleyway behind the Pilots, keeping an eye out behind them as they move down the alleyway.

* * *

Serena is having a surprisingly good time keeping her composure during this situation, as well as when she explained it to the three Pilots riding in her car. Rei was her usual self, mostly unconcerned at the situation. Patrick was nervous but managed to keep somewhat calm. Sarah, however, was afraid. "T-This isn't fair! Why are they after us?"

"Calm down, Sarah." Patrick says softly.

"CALM DOWN?!" Sarah's face was incredulous. "How can YOU tell me to CALM DOWN when SEALE-"

"SEELE." Patrick corrects her.

"WHATEVER! How can you stay calm when they actually sent people to KILL US?!"

Patrick looks amused. "You want to ask the person who has already died once why he doesn't fear death?"

Sarah glares at him and shuts up. Rei found this exchange interesting, and noted faint similarities between their behavior and Asuka and Shinji's. She decided to observe their behavior at some later point, preferably after the current situation just as she noticed something odd. Her Angel DNA had given her more than the ability to project her AT Field. Her senses were sharper than most people, particularly her eyes. "Serena, take a left immediately!"

Serena looked surprised at the insistence of her voice and quickly did so, preventing a sniper bullet from hitting the car. "Thanks Rei. That was way too-" Another bullet hits the car before it completely turned, puncturing the gas tank. Serena notices this after going one block. _"Shit." _Serena swears to herself in English as her car slows to a stop. "I should have put more fuel in the car yesterday. Okay, everyone." She faces the children, "We'll have to run there but.. uh... I have no idea which way to go."

"I can guide you." Rei responds calmly, opening the door.

"Wait Rei!" Serena looks shocked. "You can't just go out like that! They are after you!"

"I can protect myself, Ms. Luminaire." Rei responds calmly. "My AT Field will protect me."

Serena looks amazed at this but decides the time for question isn't now. "Patrick, Sarah. Lets go!" All three of them get out of the car and follow Rei, who heads down an alleyway, deciding that stealth would be the best course of action.

* * *

Gran is in a small room with various monitors, observing the situation. He turns on his radio. "This is Gran to Viper, the targets have left the car and are moving to the elevator on foot."

"Understood." Viper responds. "What's their location?"

"Unknown, they are using the alleys to mask their movements. The best option is to intercept them at the elevator itself." He connects another person to the radio. "Gran to Sever, the targets have left their car and are heading for Elevator 22. Intercept them before they get there."

"Very well..." Sever responds.

Gran turns off his radio, changing it to a different frequency before turning it on again. "Hey, Shard. You still there?"

"Depends, what's the problem?" Shard replies, his voice tense.

"What's happening on your end?"

"We lost Mark." Shard's voice was flat. "And the three from Yellow Squad was killed by Section 2 Agents. When he realized his situation, he started talking so I shot him." He sighs, "I sort of liked him, had a good sense of humor. Anyways, Section 2 has agents after me. They are very good at hunting me so-" A gunshot is heard. "Tch, found me already. Gotta go."

Gran sighs and turns the radio off. "So, we lost York, Shin, Flame, and Mark. This might be a problem. We'd best finish this mission ASAP or we'll all be found and killed by Nerv."

* * *

Misato's group is traveling down an alleyway one block away from the elevator lift to Nerv HQ. Asuka is currently muttering to herself, taking shallow breaths as to avoid breathing in the smell of garbage. "This place smells like-"

"Zip it, Asuka." Misato snaps quietly, "Keep it down. Be happy it's just the smell that you are having problems with. Bullets in your gut hurt a lot." The group is near the back of the alley, where there are two directions they can go.

Asuka decided to hold any further comments, turning her head to Kaji. It was then she notice something flash at the other end of the alley. "SHIEST!" A bullet misses her head by an inch, her yell startling the shooter. Kaji grabs Asuka's hand and drags her over to the right path, Misato doing the same for Shinji on the left. Both Misato and Kaji take the safety off their guns and start firing back.

"Kaji, take Asuka and Shinji and take them to Nerv!" Misato shouts, firing three rounds at the SEELE agent, who promptly ducks behind a garbage container before returning fire.

"But Misato-" Shinji begins but Kaji cuts him off.

"She knows what she's doing. Lets go Shinji." Kaji fires four rounds down the alleyway, forcing the man to take cover again, allowing Shinji to dash over to Kaji's side. He looks at Misato, who is currently reloading her gun. "Good luck." Misato nods at this and goes back to her fight with the SEELE agent.

Kaji leads Shinji and Asuka down the alleyway and they emerge across the street from the building with the car elevator platform and a normal elevator for those without a car. Kaji cautiously looks around the street before he and the Pilots leave the alley, looking for anything odd. "Okay, it seems clear, but it's best to run there."

"What about Misato?" Asuka demanded, all three of them still hearing gunshots.

"As soon as you're safe in the elevator, I'll go back to help her. Okay?" Both of the children nod hesitantly. "Now, lets go!"

All three of them dash toward the building and are halfway there when a gunshot is heard, which is a lot closer than the ones between Misato and the SEELE agent. Kaji shouts, "RUN!" his voice is strained, causing Shinji and Asuka to turn around. Kaji's right leg has been shot, and he is barely able to walk.

"KAJI!" Asuka screams in horror as he is shot again, this time in his left arm.

Just as both her and Shinji rush towards Kaji to help him, a voice stops them in their tracks. "If you move a muscle, the next shot goes through his head." Both of them slowly, fearfully, turn their head towards the source of the voice. The man called 'Viper' is standing under a street light with another man next to him, both wearing black suits a bullet proof armor on their chest. Viper smiles, "I see you understand the reality of the situation. Our target is you two, not this spy. Though I'm sure SEELE wouldn't shed many tears if he died."

"Fuck you, asshole!" Asuka snarls at him.

The other man laughs until Viper glares at him. "Silence, Arc." The man stops laughing.

"Fine, Viper." Arc responds, sightly annoyed. "So, would you like to shoot the kids or should I?"

Viper shrugs, walking over to the kids. "You know, I have heard a great deal about you two from SEELE. Shinji, 'The Savior of Humanity.' Asuka, The Second Child." He chuckles, "You two are very different from what I expected. Oh well, any last words?" He points the his .22 automatic pistol at Asuka.

Asuka manages, despite the situation, to get the courage to give Viper the middle finger and says to him. "I don't have anything to say to a scheissekopf like you." Viper, who understood a bit of German, glares at Asuka as he pulls the trigger of his gun. Just as he fires at Asuka, Shinji gets between them. "SHINJI!" Asuka screams in horror. Suddenly, an orange hexagon shaped barrier blocks the bullet. Asuka's eyes widen in shock, "Mein Gott..." she says softly in German.

"Wh-What the-" Viper stutters, backing away. "How can you-" He becomes silent, looking at Shinji as if he didn't truly see him earlier. "...No wonder SEELE wants you dead, kid." He mutters softly to himself. Arc looks shocked, more so than Viper.

"What... did I just do..." Shinji asks weakly, his knees buckling. Asuka moves foward and supports him.

"...You projected an AT Field..." Viper says softly, pointing his gun at Shinji's head. "I truly didn't think it was possible for a human to do that. However, you won't stop me a second time. Say goodnight-" Suddenly, his gun is shot out of his hand. He turns sharply towards the alleyway, seeing Misato. Arc also notices her and, before he has the chance to even move, Misato shoots him through the head.

Viper dives for his gun but it is kicked out of his reach by Asuka, who also decides to kick him in the face. "Eat that, arschloch." She snarls. Viper grabs her leg but he is shot in the side by Kaji, who has managed to point his gun in a weak point in Viper's body armor. He collapses, the bullet having gone through his heart. Shinji, no longer having Asuka support him, falls to his knees, but manages to use his arms to prevent his head from hitting the concrete road. Asuka turns around sharply, "Oh, sorry Shinji!" her face is embarrassed at forgetting that Shinji is a bit weak to stand on his own.

"Kaji! Shinji!" Misato quickly runs over to both of them, knealing over Kaji's body first.

"I'm okay..." Kaji manages to mutter, struggling to his feet.

"Wait." Misato stops him, pulling out her phone. "I'll call Nerv and have them send an ambulance." She looks at Shinji, who is being supported by Asuka again. "Are you okay, Shinji?"

"Yeah..." Shinji replies weakly, "I just feel really tired..."

Misato looks at Asuka, whose face is a light shade of red from being in the position she is in. "Asuka, can you help get Shinji to Nerv? I'll call Ritsuko and have her waiting when you get down to the Geofront."

"Okay, Misato." Asuka turns around slowly, "Lets go, Shinji." Shinji nods, and both of them slowly head to the elevator.

* * *

A/N: Hmm, I was tempted to expand the chapter after I refined it but...oh well. Interesting turn of events, huh? Shinji being able to project his AT Field, didn't see THAT coming, did you? Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	16. The Fifth's Power

A/N: Excellent news everyone! I no longer have to use that evil 'Notepad' program to make my documents for my story! I'm really quite happy about it so I'm going to publish this chapter ASAP. Also, I originally didn't plan for Shinji to be able to use an AT Field, but then, I didn't plan for a lot of things that happened anyways. Onto the story!

A/A/N: Ugh..I knew I forgot something. It was the damned line breaks... Excuse me while I correct my error... Ah, there. Also, I noticed an inconsistency between Sarah's bullet wound location (Which I corrected) in Chapters 16 and 17.

Disclaimer - I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

The dark streets of Tokyo-03 seemed ominous and foreboding as Rei, closely followed by Serena, Patrick, and Sarah, walked towards a nearby building, about two stories tall. Rei looks around, feeling slightly suspicious that SEELE agents haven't even attempted to attack them after the incident with the car. She slowly opens the door, closing her eyes to try to feel anyone else nearby, but detects no one. Immediately her suspicions increase ten fold, 'Why have they not attempted to kill us yet?' she wonders to herself, entering the building with the others behind her.

"This seems too easy…" Sarah mutters, looking around fearfully. Her hair is now long, past her shoulders rather than in a ponytail due to losing the cloth that she usually wraps her hair with.

"Agreed." Patrick replies, looking around calmly as he enters the building after Serena and Sarah.

"Where is this elevator?" Serena asks in a tense voice, glancing at Rei.

"The elevator is for the cars. For human personnel to enter to Geofront, it is necessary to use the Transit Station." Rei responds in a calm voice, still half focused on detecting SEELE agents. She turns down a hallway, the others following her as she opens the door on her left. Past the door is what appears to be a small train station, the train in question consists of five train cars. "We have arrived."

"Cool." Patrick looks around, narrowing his eyes when he notices one of the train cars open. "Rei, can you feel anyone nearby?" She shakes her head and walks to the first train car, which contains the controls.

"I'd suggest boarding this train immediately." Rei says sharply, "Someone is approaching." The pilots and Serena didn't need to be told twice, as they quickly rushed onto the closest train car, which happens to be the open one, and shuts the door just as a gunshot goes through a nearby window. All the doors automatically lock as the train starts moving, preventing the SEELE agent from entering. He swears as the train leaves the station, no longer able to follow them.

"Huh, I didn't know Rei could pilot a train." Sarah said, thinking out loud. She sighs, sitting down and running her fingers through her hair. "My mother gave me that ribbon…"

Patrick sits next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "At least we're alive." Sarah nods to this but still looks sad. "I'll buy you a new one after this is over, okay?"

Sarah smiles and hugs Patrick. Serena looks at them, choosing to sit down on the bench across from them. Just as Serena gets comfortable, Rei enters the compartment. "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on the controls, Rei?"

"It is not necessary. The train is currently on autopilot."

"Ah, that explains how you knew how to start it…I guess." Serena responds, frowning. "Is SEELE usually this easy to evade Rei?"

"No they are not, Ser-" Rei looks sharply at the compartment door, rushing forward and projecting and AT Field just in time for the door to open and two SEELE agents dressed in black to fire pistols at her, which are blocked.

One of them snorts, "Tch, I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. The First has an AT Field because of that damned Angel DNA."

"True…" the other says calmly, glancing at Patrick and Serena briefly. "Well, Sever, I'm glad that plan worked well. Having Ace forcing them to board the train so that they'll have nowhere to run was a smart move." His voice was smug as he says this.

The first one who spoke, Sever, replies with an annoyed voice. "Yes, yes. Your plan worked perfectly. Stop gloating about it, Tech."

"Aw, you're no fun." Tech responds cheerfully, noticing the pilots and Serena standing up.

Patrick's eyes narrow, Tech's voice faintly familiar but before he can question this, Sarah beats him to it. "Hey! That voice sounds like that guy who yelled at me when I saw Eva 04, saying-"

"-Hey! You aren't allowed to be here." Tech finished her statement for her. He smirks, "Well, well, well." Patrick and Sarah both stop moving, stunned, "I honestly never expected you two to survive the sabotage of Eva Unit 04's S2 Engine." he says softly, "But I guess miracles do happen-"

"What are you talking about?" Patrick demanded, "That was an accident, not sabotage."

Tech chuckles, "I was head technician in charge of the installation of the S2 Engine remember? I could have easily altered the S2 Engine at any time without any questions asked." He frowns, looking at Sarah. "I expected you would have died too, but you survived. I was nervous, afraid that knowledge of my sabotage would get out so I decided to kill you too." He smirks, "It proved unnecessary, however, when you became overcome with grief when you lost the only person left that was close to you."

_"Shut up." _Sarah growls under her breath, her fists clenched tightly. Patrick was speechless, realizing that he was telling the truth, and was the cause of the deaths of so many people, himself included, but felt no remorse over it.

Tech just smirks at Sarah's anger, continuing in an arrogant voice. "You lost your father at age three, then your mother one year before Third Impact, and finally…" He grins evilly, "…You lose the one you loved with all your heart and soul, who decided to put your safety before his own, and the only one left who you truly loved. It is really no surprise you attempted suicide-"

Sarah finally snaps and dashes right at Tech. Before he can even react, she kicks the gun out of his hand, grabs him by the throat, and pins him against the wall behind him. _"You ASSHOLE!" _She roars, tears in her eyes. _"I'LL FUCKING KILL-" _A gunshot cuts off her voice. She gasps in pain, coughing up blood and falling to the floor against the side of the train car compartment.

What happened next was shocking, and Serena never forgot what occurred or fully understood it years later.

Patrick growls with sheer rage, almost no humanity in his voice. _"Die…" _Before Sever, the one who shot Sarah, could even move, Patrick had appeared right in front of him, punching him so hard in the chest, that he slammed into the door behind him, heavily denting it. When Patrick turned around, Serena gasped in horror. His entire body was surrounded by a faint orange aura, this energy seemingly coming from himself. What chilled Serena the most, however, was not his strength or rage, but his eyes' color which have appeared to turn red.

Tech has finally recovered, grabbing his gun and shooting at Patrick's head. The bullet just bounces off, the aura acting like an AT Field. Patrick slowly turns to Tech, his eyes filled with malice and hatred. Tech looks scared as he says in a shaking voice, "W-What the h-hell are you-" He never got the chance to finish his statement. Patrick grabs the gun from him with his left hand, putting his right hand around his throat, lifting him up and ramming him through the window, which easily shatters.

"_You killed thousands…" _Patrick growls, his voice no longer sounding like his own. _"Caused Sarah so much pain and suffering, and caused me to go through HELL WHEN MY SOUL WAS RIPPED APART!" _He roars with sheer hatred, Tech's face both scared and horrified. Patrick grins evilly, causing Tech to flinch violently, trying to free himself from Patrick's grip around his throat. _"You wouldn't understand the kind of pain that could cause, would you?" _He asks quietly, _"Well then…HOW ABOUT YOU EXPERIENCE THAT PAIN PERSONALLY?!"_

Tech screams in unfathomable pain, the aura around Patrick's right arm cackling as Patrick using his AT Field to literally torture the man. _"So…how would you like to die?" _Patrick snarls, tightening his grip on Tech's throat. _"Would you like to fall to your death?" _He pushes the man's head out the window, the Geofront visible below. _"Would you prefer to have your throat crushed?!"_ Patrick grips his throat more tightly, almost cutting off air circulation. _"OR WOULD YOU RATHER I TEAR YOUR FUCKING SOUL APART?!" _He grins, laughing almost joyfully in the pain he is causing as he intensifies the strength of his AT Field, causing Tech to scream louder.

Patrick is blasted away from Tech by an AT Field, who has now collapsed and fallen unconscious. Patrick glares at the person who forced him back, Rei. "Stand down, Fifth Child." Rei's says calmly, staring straight at Patrick's eyes, which were the same shade of red her eyes were. Patrick just growls at Rei in response, his eyes filled with hatred. "If you continue this, you'll be no better than this man. Killing with no regrets and sadness about the lives you end." she pauses. "Do you care nothing about Sarah's life right now, just focused on revenge?"

Those words took Patrick like a slap to the face. He snarls in replies and roars as he charge at Rei, only to be blasted back again by her AT Field. This time, however, he is knocked unconscious and collapses onto the floor, the aura around him vanishing.

Several seconds go by before Serena, whose face was horrified, shocked, and amazed at the same time, managed to speak, her voice shaky. "W-What just happened?" She demanded, looking at Rei.

Rei looks calmly at her, then walks over to Sarah, who has a bullet wound in her chest. "The Fifth Child, Patrick Luminaire, gained the ability to project an AT Field after the incident with Unit 04." She explains calmly, pulling Sarah's shirt up to her bra and placing her hand on the bullet would, which is around Sarah's left midsection. "Good, the bullet didn't hit anything serious." Rei mutters quietly to herself, her hand glowing the same orange aura that Patrick was surrounded by earlier.

"B-But-" Serena continues, watching with amazement as Rei uses her AT Field to remove the bullet from Sarah and the wound begins to close. "That doesn't answer my question! What just happened?!"

"Very well." Rei replies softly, "I'll explain everything then." She continues healing Sarah, the wound almost shut when she continues. "All beings possess an AT Field, which is actually…" she frowns slightly, "The Seventeenth Angel called it 'The Light of your Soul, a sacred area in which no one may intrude.' That is the best explanation to what an AT Field is. Humans aren't meant to have the ability to even use or manipulate their own. Angel DNA is required to use an AT Field, Patrick is the only exception to this rule. However, by letting his emotions overpowering his reasoning, he went berserk, unable to distinguish between friend or foe. Attacking anyone who he perceives as a threat or enemy."

"But then, how can you-"

"I have Angel DNA in my body." Rei's replies, causing Serena to gasp. Rei pulls Sarah's shirt back down, covering the wound. Rei stands up, glancing at Patrick's motionless body. "When the SEELE Agent 'Tech' told us that he was responsible for Unit 04's destruction, Patrick was likely infuriated but did a better job of masking his rage than Sarah, who snapped and attacked Tech. When she was shot, appearing to die, Patrick's hold on his emotions broke, causing him to go berserk." She crouches down and checks his pulse. "Good, he's still alive…" she mutters, standing up. Rei looks out the window, noticing the train is almost to the station in the Geofront, with Nerv agents and Nerv medics waiting. "We have arrived at the Geofront, Serena. The doctors will take care of Patrick and Sarah, we will need to report to Commander Ikari."

* * *

Back with Asuka and Shinji, they have both managed to enter the train in their area. Asuka slowly lowers Shinji onto a bench, where he collapses and lays on his side, "Are you okay?" Asuka's voice is concerned as she crouches down in front of Shinji's weary face.

"I'm…okay." Shinji manages to reply in a weak voice.

"I'm going to get the train started, will you be okay by yourself?" Asuka asks softly. Shinji nods slowly, Asuka giving him a quick peck on his left cheek with her lips before standing up and walking to the controls in the next compartment up.

Shinji didn't have the strength at the moment to even blush, his mind filled with something strange that he always seemed to have, but woke up when he tried to protect Asuka earlier. He wondered to himself what happened, because he almost seemed to go unconscious for half a second, having no idea he projected an AT Field. All he registered in his mind was his weariness, and his desire to protect the woman he loved. His senses still had not recovered, barely registering the train moving and Asuka returning.

"Sorry it took awhile." Asuka says softly, sitting next to Shinji. "I had to find the manual before I could find and set the autopilot." Asuka hesitated, trying to lift Shinji into a sitting position next to her. Just as she struggles to move him a bit closer to him after sitting him up, Shinji collapses again, this time his head now resting in her lap. She blushes as red as a tomato at the position and is about to slap him for doing that but then hears him snoring and smiles to herself. "I guess you really must be tired." She sighs, stroking his hair as Shinji snuggles into her lap, smiling in his sleep. "Sweet dreams, Shinji." Asuka mutters softly to him as she falls asleep sitting up, her head tipped down toward Shinji's head.

* * *

Ritsuko sighs, wearing her lab coat and carrying a medical bag. Maya and half a dozen others are with her, mostly doctors. With them are two stretcher and life support systems if needed. They all watch the train enter the station and slowly stop. Two Nerv agents start moving forward cautiously but Ritsuko stops them, "It's perfectly safe. Misato informed me she managed to kill the SEELE agents with some difficulty." However, she was not relaxed at this. She was very concerned about what Misato said, that Shinji projected his AT Field, something only the Fifth Child could do as well, though imperfectly.

Ritsuko enters the control car, Maya following her, but no one is there. Ritsuko notices the train was set on autopilot. "Where could they be?" Maya frowns.

"Probably resting in another compartment." Ritsuko replies, opening the door to the next train car. She blinks at the sight she is seeing and almost laughs. Shinji's head is on Asuka's lap, now facing upwards while Asuka's head has drooped down in her sleep, her waist slightly bent and her head three inches from Shinji's. "That's an interesting position they are in." Ritsuko notes, suppressing a chuckle.

Maya giggles softly, "I'd have to agree, Doctor Akagi." she takes out her cell phone, which has a built in camera, and takes a picture of the sleeping couple. "I'm keeping this picture." she smiles, putting her cell phone away and shaking Asuka. "Asuka, wake up."

Asuka slowly opens her eyes, looking up, not awake enough for her mind to register what is going on clearly. "What's going on, Maya?" she asks in an exhausted voice.

"Are you and Shinji okay?"

Asuka shakes her head. "'m fine, but Shinji is sleepy…" she yawns, not taking into account her own exhaustion from this ordeal.

"Don't worry." Ritsuko responds calmly, lifting Shinji's head off Asuka's lap while Maya opens the compartment door so the other doctors can enter, bringing the two stretchers. "You'll be safe with us."

Asuka smiles faintly and nods her head, being picked up and being put on one of the stretchers where she promptly falls back asleep.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later in Commander Ikari's office, Gendo picks up his phone the moment it begins to ring. "What is the status of the Pilots, Ritsuko?" he demanded.

"Toji and Kensuke reached Nerv HQ without a problem. Shinji collapsed after defending himself and Asuka with an AT Field-"

"Wait." Ikari's expression becomes faintly surprised at this but keeps it out of his voice. "He was able to project his AT Field?"

"Yeah, it shocked me when Misato told me what happened. The only explanation for an orange hexagon barrier is an AT Field." Her voice becomes concerned, "Sarah was shot, but was healed of any serious damage by Rei. Patrick lost control of his emotions and went berserk, nearly killing both of the SEELE agents that were after them. Rei knocked him out, and she has no injuries. Neither does Serena."

"…I see." Gendo replies calmly, "Send Rei to my office, and keep an eye on Serena."

"Right." Ritsuko hangs up.

Gendo's face is unreadable as he hangs up as well, but dials a different number on his phone. "What is the status of the SEELE agents?"

A gruff voice responds. "We just killed the last one, his code name was Gran. He had listening devices and cameras setup in various parts of the city, which we are currently disposing of."

"Very good. Report back to me when you are done."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Back in the Crimson Angel's Meeting Room (For lack of a better term…)

All five of the cloaked figures are sitting at the table, watching the status of the Pilots on a three dimensional holographic image, paying particular attention to Shinji Ikari. The young man presses his index finger on a button that has blended into the table perfectly, pausing the hologram at the point where Shinji projects his AT Field. "…He has grown quite strong." He mused to himself, "I didn't expect SEELE to actually succeed, but to push this kid into a corner, awakening the ability to use his AT Field…" He becomes quiet.

"…I see why you wanted him dead, Lord Varian…" Shalock's voice is shaken, in awe that Shinji used an AT Field. "This kid is way too dangerous."

"You finally get it?" The young man, Varian, replies calmly. "Good. I was at least hoping that SEELE would injure a pilot, but by causing the Third Child to exhaust himself and the Fifth Child to overuse his AT Field and go berserk, we've temporarily knocked out two of the stronger pilots. The Second will be emotionally damaged due to the Third's condition, making her easier prey. The Seventh will be affected both by the Fifth's condition and her own injury. The Fourth and Sixth will also lose morale due to the loss of the Third." He stands up, turning to face the massive doorway behind him. He raises his fist, three 6's glowing faintly through his black glove. "Gormarc, now is the time to strike at Nerv. Failure won't be tolerated, now go!"

A faint roar is heard echoing in the surrounding darkness. Varian turns back to the other four. "I will observe this battle personally. There is a good chance that we will succeed this time." He vanishes.

"…If this continues, I'm going personally." Chivalt states flatly, "And I don't care if I'm defying orders, as long as we get Unit 01, he'll be happy with it."

"Wait." Darvin says calmly, "Patience is a virtue." Shalock laughs hysterically at this statement. The old man glares at him. "Something amusing, Shalock?"

"A VIRTUE?" Shalock laughs harder, "Since when did we have any of those?"

"…We had them when we were still human." Chivalt sighs, "You became one of us when you were a child, so you wouldn't understand." He looks up at the ceiling, his cloak hood falling off and his eyes lost in thought.

"Speaking of which, we've never told each other our own pasts, only Lord Varian knows our previous lives as humans before we became what we are today." Morlina says softly, then sighs. "I miss my previous life…"

"Speak for yourself." Darvin states flatly, "Gaining immortality and power was worth it for me." He stands up, walking into the darkness of the room. The others vanish like Varian did earlier, leaving Chivalt to stare at the ceiling, still lost in thought.

* * *

A/N: Talk about a chapter, huh? I personally like the nice Asuka/Shinji moment more than Patrick going berserk, which was another unplanned event but meh. Yes, I noticed after uploading this that it has fewer than 5,000 words but doing this in the space of one day is pretty good.

A/A/N: You'll notice I expanded the abilities an AT Field grants. Kaworu, the Seventeenth Angel, called it 'The Light of the Soul', so I just really couldn't leave it as just a barrier and that's it. A calm mind and resolve is necessary to use the AT Field, if you lose your cool but not the resolve...well, what happened to Patrick accurate describes the after effects. Anyways, see you next time... Oh right, next chapter, Gormarc will be attacking. With Shinji and Patrick both unable to pilot, and the moral of the Pilots lower because of this, can they win? Find out next time!

Read and Review!


	17. Dawn of Battle

A/N: Hi everyone. Yes, it's taken a month to post another chapter but at least I finished it. I've noticed that I'm not doing anything that would be M Rated so I'm down graded it to T.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

Asuka slowly opens her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling for several moments until her mind wakes up as well as her body. Immediately she notices that something is off, 'Wait, where's Shinji?' her thoughts were panicked as she quickly looks around with eyes, relaxing when she notices him in the bed next to her. Breathing a sigh of relief, her thoughts go to last night, or tonight, she couldn't tell at the moment. An image of Shinji jumping in front of a bullet ingrained inside of her head, remembering he used what looked like an…AT Field? 'I guess…he really does care about me…'

"Good morning Asuka." Ritsuko's voice startles her, nearly causing her to jump and look to her left. Doctor Akagi, who Asuka didn't notice at the time, was wearing her usual lab coat and sitting in the chair next to her bed, writing things down on a clipboard, not even glancing at Asuka. "You've slept for about seven hours. Right now, it's 4:27 AM."

Asuka, however, was more worried about Shinji and how he was doing, rather than the time. "How's Shinji?" she asks quickly, causing Ritsuko to smile with slight amusement. "And Kaji, Misato, and everyone else?" she added hastily.

"Everyone is alive. Kaji was lucky that the bullet missed any vital organs." Ritsuko frowns, her expression slightly worried when she stares at Shinji's unconscious body. "Both Shinji and Patrick haven't awoken yet."

The Pilot of Unit 02 sighs, realizing Sarah would be pretty distraught about Patrick, her boyfriend, like she was about Shinji, her boy- 'No, not boyfriend…' She says firmly to herself, 'Just friend.' Asuka was not prepared to think of Shinji as something more than a friend…yet. She still wasn't sure about his feelings yet. "Anyways…" Asuka says out loud, looking at Ritsuko, "How's Sarah doing? I'm sure she's pretty worried about Patrick right now." Ritsuko's expression changes slightly, her eyes filled with concern. Asuka noticed this immediately, "Ritsuko, what's wrong with Sarah?" Just then, a chilling thought occurs to her, "Don't tell me she's-"

"She was shot, Asuka." Ritsuko states flatly, stunning Asuka. "She was near death before we managed to stabilize her. Don't worry." Ritsuko adds quickly, noticing Asuka's worried expression, "She's sleeping right now, and she'll need it to heal." She pauses, "I'm glad you woke up, however, I was planning to wake you up in a few minutes anyways." Doctor Akagi notices Asuka's confused expression. "You see, there's a Crimson Angel approaching and-"

The Second Child immediately threw the covers off of her body, and jumps out of the bed. "Why didn't you say so sooner?!" she demanded, already rushing to the door.

"Asuka, the target is still two hours away from the Geofront." Ritsuko's expression is slightly amused. "I'd suggest relaxing and putting your clothes back on before rushing out of the hospital." Asuka gasps, just not realizing she is only wearing her bra and panties. She blushes, quickly glancing at Shinji's bed to check if he is still asleep. "Don't worry, he's still asleep…Although, I'm sure he'd love to see you without your-"

"SHUTUP!" Asuka snaps at Ritsuko, her face becoming redder and her own thoughts slightly naughty. 'Stop thinking about stuff like that! Though…he has gotten a bit handsome since Third Impact…I wouldn't mind it too much if he saw- NO!' Her face won't lose its fire, causing Ritsuko to chuckle, as if she could read Asuka's mind. "What's so funny?!"

"Ah, just how amusing young love is." Ritsuko smirks slightly as she watches Asuka quickly grab her clothes and dress quickly, only taking half a minute, and walking to the door quickly. "What's wrong?" Ritsuko asks innocently, "This might be your only chance to see your boyfriend without his clothes on. Admit it, you want to see -"

At this point, Asuka has reached the door, opens it and dashes into the hallway, shouting angrily back at Ritsuko. "He's not my boyfriend, you pervert!" Asuka is halfway down the hall when she realizes that she only denied Shinji being her boyfriend, but not the desire to see him without clothes. This causes her face to become even more red than it already was.

* * *

Serena, Patrick's caretaker and, in the case of Sarah, babysitter, was struggling to keep herself awake after the strenuous events that took place about seven hours ago. She drinks some more coffee, determined to stay awake until at least one of the two children awaken. 'I'm really not cut out for this.' Serena ruefully admits to herself, wondering what she was thinking when she agreed to take care of Patrick AND Sarah.

Patrick wasn't really an issue, except being strangely mature for his age and very rarely asking for anything like cell phones or video games. He was very quiet, shy, and tended to keep to himself around strangers. He also, oddly enough to Serena, didn't really care about his appearance. She remembered when he used to wear glasses until he started using contact lenses like she did, Serena sort of insisted on it, saying he needed to start caring about how he looks and how others view him. He still didn't really care but did choose to use contacts just to make her happy. His looks improved without the glasses, but Serena didn't notice him wearing contacts anymore. 'Do his eyes work correctly now or…?' Serena shook her head, turning her thoughts to Sarah, which was the one who needed babysitting more than Patrick.

Sarah was the complete opposite of Serena's cousin. She enjoyed talking with others, having a social life, and constantly asked Serena to buy this dress or that pair of shoes for herself or Serena, pointing out that she, of all people, needed to improve her choice of clothing. Also, unlike Patrick, she had no issues showing her emotions and feelings to others, being very open with everyone she knew. This isn't to say she didn't keep things to herself, which she did, but she didn't hide most of the things on her mind. At times, she acts mature for her age, but this happens rarely. Sarah also enjoys joking around, flirting with boys (though this has decreased a great deal), and teasing others.

Serena sighs again, drinking some more coffee. 'These two children have changed so much.' she notes to herself, smiling faintly. 'Patrick used to be afraid to even talk with strangers, and Sarah…well, she's a great deal less emotional than she used to be.' She hears the door open and turns her head quickly, but relaxes when Misato enters. "Hello Misato. How's your boyfriend?"

Misato snorts, "Kaji is fine, how about these two?" she asks, pointing to Patrick and Sarah, both of which were still asleep.

"Well, Patrick still hasn't woken up, but Sarah was awake for a few minutes about a couple of hours ago. She didn't answer any of my question about…well, you don't really need to hear about that yet." Serena sighs, placing her cup of coffee on the side table next to her before placing her hands in her lap, looking down at them. "Misato, I'll be honest here. I don't think I'm cut out for this job."

Misato frowns at her and nods. "Not many people are cut out for taking care of kids who are out saving the world and ending up in the hospital on a regular basis." Serena sighs again, staring at her lap. "However, you aren't doing too bad of a job taking care of these two."

Serena glances at Patrick and Sarah before responding. "Patrick doesn't need much supervision. Sarah on the other hand…" Serena leaves the statement hang, "…Well, she's a drama queen. You've figured that out by now." She smiles faintly.

"I've noticed." Misato remarks dryly before looking at Serena with a serious expression. "You wanted to talk with Sarah about what that SEELE agent said about her, right?" Serena turns around sharply, facing Misato. "Rei told me about it."

"Oh. Well, how is everyone else?" Serena asks calmly, betraying the still stunned look on her face.

Misato shrugs, "Fine for the most part, except Shinji hasn't woken up. Anyways, I have some work to do, so I'll see you later." Misato walks out of the room and into the hallway, closing the door behind herself. "Not much time to come up with a battle plan to use against the Crimson Angel…" she mutters to herself. In reality, Misato had two hours to think up a battle plan, but she was short on Evas. Worse yet, the target's AT Field was stronger than Ramiel, which took a fully powered positron rifle shot to take down, using all of Japan's power!

"Misato." She looks around for the source of the voice calling her name, noticing Asuka standing next to her. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much." Misato starts walking down the hallway with Asuka following behind her. "I'm glad you woke up, I'll need as many Evas as I can get against this one." She looks curiously at Asuka's face, which was still red from Ritsuko's teasing. "Let me guess, Ritsuko teased you?" Asuka just nods, glaring at Misato as if daring her to tease her too. "Don't worry. I don't plan on teasing you. You'll need a clear head for the coming battle." Misato pauses. "Do you know about the Fifth Angel, Ramiel?"

"Yeah, I heard about it." Asuka replies calmly, "You told me about it before, calling it a flying fortress." Misato nods at this, so she continues. "You needed all of Japan's power to charge enough energy into the prototype Positron Rifle to penetrate its' AT Field." the redhead pauses. "That was a reckless plan. I could have thought up a better one."

Misato ignores this. "Well, this Crimson Angel has a stronger AT Field than Ramiel. It gets worse, because the Magi scanned it and determined the target has a very strong shell of armor, just in case its' AT Field fails to block an attack. The target also has some ability to tunnel through the earth, but I doubt that's the extent of its' ability."

"Do you have a plan, Misato?"

Misato sighs, shaking her head. "I don't have a plan right now, but I'll think of one soon enough." They walk in silence until they exit the Nerv hospital complex, entering the main base before the silence is broken by Asuka.

"Did Shinji use an AT Field?"

Misato stops walking, a frown on her face. "I don't know, Asuka. Ritsuko said it's possible, because Patrick could use one too-"

"Wait." Asuka interrupts Misato in a sharp voice, "HE can use an AT Field too? Why didn't you TELL me?!"

"You didn't need to know, Asuka." Misato states flatly, causing Asuka to immediately shut up. "At any rate, AT Fields aren't meant to be used by normal humans. Rei can use one, but she has Angel DNA. The exception to the rule, Shinji and Patrick, are the only humans who can even use the AT Field, at a great cost obviously." Asuka looks slightly confused, "Using it drains your physical and mental strength, causing the users to go into a deep sleep. That's what Ritsuko thinks, considering the patients she has now are the only ones to use an AT Field." Misato hesitates, "Rei told me that Patrick went berserk, losing control of himself and almost killing two SEELE Agents with ease."

"What?!" Asuka looks stunned at this, "How the hell could he do that?"

"AT Fields aren't limited to barriers. Rei said he surrounded himself in it to increase his speed and strength, but he wasn't thinking rationally at the time." Misato frowns, noticing Asuka is about to ask another question. "As for why he did it…Well, Sarah was shot after going after one of them. That caused Patrick to go after both the shooter and his ally, who turned out to be the guy who sabotaged Unit 04, causing the death of thousands."

Asuka blinks, "Wait, that wasn't an accident?"

"No…SEELE set it up because they didn't trust Commander Ikari having an Eva Unit at his disposal equipped with an S2 Engine." Misato points out.

'Makes sense.' Asuka notes to herself, 'I wouldn't trust him much either.'

* * *

**About two months before Third Impact…**

A young teenager with disheveled brown hair is crouching on the floor, her legs pressed against her chest. The girl is wearing a black dress, her arms are wrapped around her knee. Oddly enough, cloth is wrapped around the girl's wrists. The young girl's face pressed down against her knees and shrouded by her hair. The sound of sobbing can be heard coming from the figure. The room she is in looks like a living room with the shades closed. There is knocking on the door but the figure makes no movement.

The door is unlocked and opened, a young girl with blonde hair going past her shoulders and green eyes entering the house, closing the door behind herself. She is wearing a long silvery-red dress, taking her high heels off at the door before walking over to the girl crouched on the floor. She crouches down, moving some of the sobbing girl's hair away from her face. _"Are you okay, Sarah?" _the green eyed girl asks in English.

The girl raises her head and moves the hair away from her face, revealing it IS Sarah! Her face looks like she has been crying for days. _"L-Leave me…a-alone, Jessica…" _She sobs softly, averting her brown eyes away from the other girl.

"_I know you are in a lot of pain, Sarah…but you can't live your life in sadness. " _Jessica replies in a soothing voice, hugging Sarah tightly before grabbing her hand. _"Come on, stand up. Lets just talk about this so you can put it behind you already."_

"_You're an idiot…" _Sarah replies in a weak voice, _"You don't understand what I'm going through right now."_

"_Yes I do." _Jessica's voice is flinty, _"You've lost your father, your mother, and now your boyfrie-"_

"_SHUT UP, JESSICA!" _Sarah screams with unbearable loss in her voice. _"My heart is screaming at me every damn second I'm alive! Why didn't you just LET ME DIE?!"_

"_Suicide is the cowards way out, Sarah." _Jessica snaps angrily at her, grabbing her wrists firmly. _"It's a good thing you didn't lose too much blood when I found you in the bathroom." _Sarah turns her head away but Jessica grabs Sarah's chin firmly and forces Sarah to face her. _"You were even grateful to me for stopping you, but now you hate me for it. Do you think Patrick would be happy with you killing yourself after sacrificing his OWN life just to save you?!"_

"_Don't you DARE bring him into this-"_

"_I'll bring your dead boyfriend into this damn conversation if I want to." _Jessica snaps, cutting Sarah off. _"You're acting like an immature brat right now. He wanted you to live, and killing yourself would just disgrace his memory!"_

Sarah flinched violently, angry that Jessica knew exactly what to say just to make her feel even worse about trying to kill herself. _"…Goddamn you, Jessica. What kind of friend are you…" _she mutters softly.

"_A friend that kept you from doing something you'd regret." _the blonde retorted, _"You didn't lose enough blood to take you to the hospital, so we are the only ones that know that you tried to kill yourself. Now, do you plan to wallow in grief for the rest or your life, or are you going to move on with it?"_

Sarah remains silent for a few minutes before responding. _"Pilot."_

"_Huh?" _Jessica looks confused.

"_I'm going to follow what Patrick wanted to do. I'm going to pilot Eva in order to defend other from the Angels." _Sarah states firmly, standing up and wiping tears from her eyes.

"_Are you crazy Sarah?!" _Jessica demanded, her voice shocked. _"After what happened to Patrick-"_

"_I don't care. I'm going to Pilot if it's the last thing I do." _Jessica is about to respond but Sarah cuts her off. _"I was offered a chance to pilot Eva around the same time as Patrick, but he had the higher Sync score in the test."_

Jessica becomes silent, staring into Sarah eyes. Not even a hint of doubt is in them. She sighs, _"Go ahead, you have my support. Just don't get yourself killed."_

* * *

Sarah slowly opens her eyes, noticing the digital clock next to her bed says 5:45 A.M. _'Where am I…oh, the Nerv hospital.' _Sarah's thoughts turn to what was revealed to Patrick, Serena and Rei, then sighs. _'It was bound to come out eventually, but I didn't want to ever remember that deep depression ever again…' _She slowly rises out of bed, giggling softly after seeing Serena's head resting on her arms at the edge of her bed, obviously asleep. _"I guess she's tired…" _Sarah shrugs, getting out of bed and pulling on her clothes, which were neatly folded on the side table next to her. She quietly walks over to Patrick, kissing him lightly on the cheek before leaving the room. Fifteen minutes later, she arrives at the Nerv command center, most of the personnel on the way not paying her much attention. She notices everyone is in battle station and the pilots are heading out of the room in the upper level. Sarah blinks, quickly walking over to the elevator platform to the upper level. She sees Misato and Ritsuko both looking at the screen, which is a picture of the northern wall of the Geofront. Before she can speak, Misato and Ritsuko both notice her. "What are you doing up, Sarah?" Ritsuko demanded, "You need rest."

Sarah ignores her, "What's going on?" she demanded, glancing at the blank screen briefly before turning her attention to the fact that even Commander Ikari is here. "Is it a Crimson Angel?" Misato nods, "Send me out, then."

"I don't think that's a good idea-" Ritsuko began, but was cut off by Sarah.

"And I don't care. I want to fight." Sarah snaps, her eyes filled with a firm resolve.

Ritsuko glares at her for being so rudely interrupted but before she can respond, Commander Ikari speaks in a cold voice. "Very well. If you wish to fight, then get suited up."

Sarah nods, very grateful as she rushes to the changing room. Misato looks at Commander Ikari, "Was that an entirely wise move? She likely hasn't recovered from that bullet wound."

"Perhaps, but she would likely pilot her Eva even if I did forbid her."

_

* * *

_

"Sarah?! What are you doing up?"

Asuka's voice was slightly startled after seeing Sarah enter the changing room, already suited up for her Eva Unit. Rei had already left for Eva Unit 00. Sarah walks behind a set of lockers and pulls her clothes off quickly, putting on her plug suit. "I woke up and wanted to Pilot." she stated in a flinty voice, "That's all."

Asuka bit back a retort for Sarah's rudeness, deciding it wasn't worth getting into an argument…yet. "Well, be careful out there." she replies in a calm voice, walking out of the changing room and to her Eva. After she is out of earshot, she growls softly. "What's HER problem? She shouldn't even be in any condition to even walk."

* * *

Unit 00 takes position on a hill north of the Geofront, which already has a positron rifle in place for her. Units 02, 03, and 05 are 100 meters away from the Geofront's northern wall, each wielding their Heavy Prog. Sword, Prog. Axe, or Eva-sized machine gun. All the Evas also have an umbilical cable attached to supply unlimited power. Unit 06 slowly approaches the three Evas but Misato's voice enters Sarah's Eva. "Sarah, you're taking the rear guard position with Rei, and if you even THINK of arguing or disobeying me, we'll remotely turn your Eva off."

"Fine…" Sarah grumbles, discarding her Prog. Spear and walking to a nearby weapons' cache. She opens it and pulls out a positron rifle for herself, taking a position near Rei. She mutters swear words to herself in English, her left midsection feeling quite painful from the bullet wound. Her swearing wasn't just limited to the pain though. The condition that her body was in caused her sync score to be around the mid-thirties.

* * *

"What's the status of the target?" Misato asks Hyuga.

"The target is fifty meters from breaking through the northern Geofront wall." He responds.

"The Magi have determined the target is using its' AT Field to tunnel through the ground, but they calculate that there is a 89.7% chance that the targets' AT Field is not limited to just tunneling." Maya reports.

Alarms start sounding in the room as the northern wall of the Geofront starts to collapse inward, "The target has penetrated the Geofront!" Aoba shouts. The three Evas stationed nearby to confront it step back and wait for the dust cloud to clear. As the dust settles, the figure of a large tortoise appears. The figure has think, sharp spikes on its' shell and a long, spiked tail. Its' shell is made up of a combination of black and dark green plates. On the dark green plates are the spikes, which are a light green color. The creature has four legs, which are dark grey in color, and has a head resembling that of a tortoise of the same color. The creatures eyes are blood red in color.

The Seventh Crimson Angel, Gormarc of the Adamantine Shell, has arrived in the Geofront.

* * *

A/N: There you have it. I know that you guys are probably annoyed by the fact that it took so damn long to post, but inspiration come and goes with the wind. Anyways, see you next time.


	18. Gormarc's Rampage

A/N: Yes, we've all noticed how my updates went from once every few days to once a month, but it's not my fault…Okay it IS my fault but I have a good reason! School work is more important than my story. It is this importance that got me all A's and B's on my report card. Hurray for Honor Role! Sorry, now where was I…

At any rate, I began writing this story to get these ideas out of my head (which I've succeeded in doing), but I feel the urge to actually FINISH this story. Sure, I could spoil it by telling you what happens but it wouldn't be the same, you know? My pride refuses to just leave it at a cliffhanger like this. Sorry, rambling again, onto the show!

A/A/N: I wrote this chapter in a matter of two or three days. I guess the problem is that I'm lazy. Also, it took longer than expected because I had Varian act like Chivalt…AND I just noticed this damn fanfiction site screwed up my document to hell so I've had to FIX it. Sorry for the inconvenience.

* * *

The large tortoise slowly walks into the Geofront, its shell covered in spikes with a slight light green hue on them. The creature's legs, tail, and head are covered in a thick hide. The 6th Crimson Angel's eyes, like those before it, are blood red in color. In front of him are there Eva Units, barring his path into the Geofront. The Eva Units there are 02, 03, and 05. Units 00 and 06 are in a supporting position farther away from the Crimson Angel.

Unknown to Nerv, two cloaked figures are observing the battle with some interest. One of them takes out a wine glass and bottle, pouring some red wine into the glass before drinking. "Gormarc will not fail in this battle. His defenses are nearly impenetrable." Varian notes calmly.

"True…and he knows the consequences of failure." Morlina's voice comes from the other cloaked figure, her tone confident.

Varian nods, "However, I've learned not to underestimate Ikari or his Evas. Speaking of which…" his voice trails off, his eyes appearing to be lost in thought before returning to normal, his voice now faintly irritated. "I wanted SEELE to at least kill the Pilots, not awaken their abilities further."

Morlina sighs, "Honestly, none of us expected SEELE to actually succeed this time. That's why we sent Gormarc rather than a weaker one." She paused, frowning. "SEELE wasn't a total failure, though. They did manage to put the Third and Fifth Child out of commission. That will affect the sync ratios of most of the other children."

Darkness enveloped Varian for a moment before fading away, "…I'll be back shortly. It's time to inform SEELE that I won't tolerate their failures forever." He states flatly, creating a portal of darkness in front of himself and walking through it.

"Don't kill them." Morlina warns, "We still need their Eva Series." Her voice likely fell on deaf ears as the portal vanishes. She sighs, "Well, I guess I'll watch the battle. It should be interesting to say the least."

* * *

"So that's the Crimson Angel? It looks like an oversized turtle with spikes." Misato mutters to herself, loud enough to be heard by Ritsuko, who is standing next to her.

"It's a tortoise, not a turtle." Ritsuko points out calmly before walking over to Maya and checking the data she has on this new Crimson Angel.

"What cares?" Misato demanded, "You know what I meant and besides, these things don't fall under the normal category of creatures that live on this planet."

Hyuga frowns at the data he is getting so Misato walks over, curious as to what is upsetting him. "Major, everyone's sync ratio is lower than it normally is, even Rei."

Misato sighs, shaking her head. "It's to be expected. Having Shinji in his current condition would worry and upset anyone, especially those close to him. That means Asuka, Rei, Toji and Kensuke will be the most affected by this." She frowns, glancing at Sarah's sync score. "Sarah is in her mid 30's…affected by both Patrick's condition and her injury. Hyuga, if she gets into trouble, cut her connection to the Eva and deactivate it. She's in bad enough shape as it is."

"Right…" Hyuga replies bleakly, reading off the other pilot scores. Rei was around 69, Asuka was hit pretty hard emotionally by this and is at 72, Toji was around 66, and Kensuke reads about 64. These scores didn't inspire much confidence in Misato. She looked over the scores again, realizing just how much Shinji's presence affected their lives.

* * *

"Hey Misato!" Asuka shouts over the intercom, "Are you there?" Rather than Misato, a picture of Rei pops up instead. "Hey, I'm trying to talk to Misato, not you."

Rei just stares at her for a moment before speaking. "Major Katsuragi, the Second Child has also been trying to open communications."

"Ah, that figures." Misato's voice grumbles from a comm. window inside Unit 00's cockpit, loud enough for the Second Child to hear. "Asuka, it looks like the communications technician screwed up on the connection between your Eva's comm. Systems and Nerv base."

"Oh great." The redhead mutters darkly, "So what can this Crimson Angel do?"

"Well…we don't really know." Misato admits calmly but, after hearing a low growl from Asuka, wisely decides to continue. "We do know that its shell is very dense and stronger than reinforced steel. Those spikes on its back or even strong, at the same level of density as diamonds, so I'd advise avoiding those."

"Oh really?" Asuka replies sarcastically, "I had no idea that'd be a bad idea."

"Very funny, Asuka." Misato's voice sounded annoyed. What's more, it came from inside her Eva this time rather than Rei's, but no picture of her was shown. "Oh, we got communications back now, but its voice only, damn…Oh well. Thanks for the help Rei."

Rei just nods and closes communications with Unit 02. "Okay, that was weird." Asuka mutters, referring to Rei's behavior before turning to look at the 'Voice Only' hologram that popped up in her entry plug. "I'm guessing this thing has some type of earth manipulation abilities in order to have burrowed into the Geofront."

"That's right Asuka, but we aren't sure how far those abilities go so be cautious." Misato closes communications with Unit 02 after saying this.

"Geez, Misato. You seem really talkative today." Asuka chuckles to herself, having Unit 02 tighten its grip on the Heavy Prog. Sword it's hold. "Let's see how this guy enjoys being turned into turtle soup."

Minutes seemed to pass by before Unit 05 makes the first move, firing a barrage of bullets at the target, but are easily blocked by its shell and thick hide. "What?! How thick is this guy's skin?" Kensuke demanded, continuing his attack but to no avail. At this point, both Asuka and Toji were having doubts that they could actually damage it seriously with the weapons they had right now.

This didn't stop either of them from trying. Units 02 and 03 charge straight at the creature, raising their sword or axe and slashing down at its head. Unfortunately, the Crimson Angel easily blocks the attack with its AT Field. "Hey! Don't hide behind your field, you coward!" Asuka shouts angrily, both Units 02 and 03 working together to try to cancel its AT Field out but failing to breach it. Both of them decide to get some distance away from the enemy in case it counter attack, so they quickly jump back, not turning their backs to the enemy.

Morlina watches from a tree branch about one miles away from Gormarc, slightly amused at the children's struggle. "You fools don't get it, do you? Gormarc's AT Field and armor are impenetrable. You'd be better off just surrendering but…it is quite amusing to watch you children struggle and squirm under pressure."

* * *

"Okay, that didn't work." Misato states calmly.

"Did you actually expect it WOULD work?" Ritsuko asks curiously.

Misato sighs, "Not really, but I was hoping it would." she walks over to the computer next to Hyuga and opens communications with Unit 00. "Rei, we'll have to try Plan B, so get ready."

Rei nods, "Understood, Major Katsuragi." She replies calmly, closing the comm. window and beginning to charge energy into her positron rifle.

"What are you up to, Rei?" Sarah asks curiously, her voice strained slightly from the pain as Unit 06 slowly turns its head to face Unit 00.

Rei opens a comm. Window to Eva Unit 06 to respond. "You were absent from the briefing so I will inform you of the plan. Plan A was simply the use of normal weapons to penetrate the target's hide or armor, but was unlikely we would succeed. Therefore, Plan B is to fire a fully charged positron sniper rifle shot at the target, penetrating its hide to damage and/or kill it."

"…Okay." Sarah responds, a bit unnerved about talking to Rei. Secretly, Rei still made Sarah nervous. She never did figure out why…maybe it was the emotionless behavior that the First Child had, but the feeling of uneasiness was less now than it was when she first met Rei. Unit 06 starts charging power into her own positron rifle, deciding the help Rei if her shot wasn't strong enough on its own to damage the Crimson Angel.

"It's time for Plan B." Misato tells the other pilots calmly, "Distract that thing until Rei is ready to fire, but if you get a chance to damage it, then take it."

"Understood, Major Katsuragi." Kensuke responds, saluting slightly before firing another barrage of bullets at Gormarc, the Crimson Angel. This time, however, it uses its AT Field to block the attack. Asuka and Toji wasted no time in charging at the creature, trying to work together to negate its AT Field with their Eva's AT Field. At first it didn't work, but then Kensuke threw his rifle away and charged at Gormarc, helping them cancel its AT Field out.

At this point, Gormarc was having trouble holding its field with three Eva's trying to negate it. Kensuke quickly draws his Prog. Knife from his Eva's shoulder holster and slashes through the already weaken AT Field and cuts Gormarc lightly on the nose. It was actually slightly shocked his field was penetrated and Gormarc decided not to toy with them any longer, going on the offensive. It roars loudly before channeling its AT Field into the ground.

* * *

"Major! We're getting geographic distortions in the ground!" Hyuga reports.

"What?!" Misato demanded before opening communications with the pilots. "Get out of there NOW!"

Before they could react in time, large rock pillars erupt from the ground and hindered their escape. Worse yet, they severed the umbilical cables from all three of the Evas. The spikes on Gormarc's back glow a bright light green color. "Adamant Barrage!" it roars in a strangely crackled voice, firing the spikes on his back at the Evas. The spikes were, in reality, diamond shaped rather than circular cones. Unit 03 quickly moves in front of Units 02 and 05, projecting an AT Field to block that attack.

Unfortunately, his AT Field soon collapsed under the barrage and Unit 03's body is skewered by the attack, defending Units 02 and 05 from any damage. Toji cries out in pain as his Eva collapses onto the ground, multiple diamond shaped crystal embedded in its joints and chest.

"Toji!" Kensuke shouted, his Eva being held back by Unit 02. Eventually, he manages to break free of Asuka's grip and rushes over to Unit 03, desperately trying to open communications with him. Suddenly, Asuka feels a chill go down her spine and a feeling of bloodlust in the air. She quickly turns her head to face Gormarc. On his face appears to be a maniacal grin.

"Kensuke, move now!" Asuka shouts, but she was too late. Kensuke looks up, only to have his Eva's chest impaled by a rock spire Gormarc shot through him from the ground. "Shiest!" she swears, jumping back and just avoiding a rock spire aimed at her this time. Obviously, it wasn't satisfied with victory as a rock spire erupted from under Unit 03 and impaled its chest as well. "You arschloch!" she screams, horrified that he'd just skewered an already defeated opponent like that.

* * *

The Nerv Command Center was deathly quiet. Within a space of only twelve seconds, they lost two of their Evas. Misato breaks the silence by opening communications with Unit 00. "Rei, FIRE NOW!"

Rei didn't even need to be ordered to do that, because just before Misato shouted that order, she fired her positron rifle beam straight at Gormarc's head after seeing Units 03 and 05 so cruelly defeated. It blocks the energy blast with it's AT Field until Sarah also fires a fully charged positron rifle shot, overwhelming the Crimson Angel's AT Field and hitting Gormarc, causing a large explosion on impact.

Luckily, Asuka moved Unit 02 away from Gormarc the moment she saw Rei's positron rifle shot so she was out of range but Evas 03 and 05 were damaged further by the explosion but, luckily, their entry plugs were undamaged. "…Is it dead?" Asuka demanded, unable to see through the smoke from the explosion, opening limited communications with Nerv Command Center.

Misato's voice was strained when she replied. "…No, it's still alive." The smoke clears, revealing that Gormarc withdrew his body into its shell with armor covering the holes where his legs and head come out from.

"For the love of God…" Sarah's enraged voice shouts over the intercom, "Why won't it die?!"

Gormarc slowly exits his shell, the armor vanishing as his head and legs come back out. "Oh…?" Gormarc's strangely crackled voice responds calmly. "That was quite clever…pity I know where you are now, children."

Rei heard that voice and immediately moves Unit 00 away as fast as possible, choosing to abandon her positron rifle. This turned out to be a wise move, as rock spires erupted from the ground underneath both her and the rifle. In the process of dodging the spires, Unit 00's umbilical cord was severed. At this point, Asuka only had 4:00 minutes left while Rei had 5:00 minutes.

Sarah, unfortunately, didn't have the mobility she normally would and was unable to dodge the spires completely. They went right through her Eva's right arm in three places, causing her to cry out in pain. _"FUCK!"_ Sarah screams in English, clutching her right arm tightly from the pain. Before she could react, three more rock spires rushed towards her, this time piercing her Eva's chest. Expecting hellish pain, Sarah braced herself but felt nothing. "…Huh?" Sarah muttered in a confused voice, the pain in her right arm decreasing slightly.

* * *

"We cut her nerve connections and power to the Eva just in time." Maya reports, sighing with relief in her voice. "That was way too close…"

"Seriously…" Hyuga mutters, glancing at her current condition. "If she took that attack, she might be in critical condition again…or worse."

Misato frowns, going over the current situation in her head and trying to think of SOME plan to save their asses. Two Pilots, Shinji and Patrick, weren't even conscious. Three of their five active Evas were defeated, leaving only Rei and Asuka left. Worse yet, they needed at least THREE Evas to be able to counter it's AT Field, but Rei and Asuka were a lot better at piloting than Toji and Kensuke so they could probably break through, if they weren't impaled by its barrage of diamond shaped crystals or earth spires first. The best damn part of this situation is that her two remaining pilots had a time limit.

She was not a skilled tactician in her opinion. Misato was fully aware that her recruitment wasn't for her ingenious strategies, but her desire of revenge and the will to do whatever it took to kill the Angels. No matter what she thought of, there was no chance of victory this time, just like the first time fighting the Eva Series. Asuka had no chance of- 'Wait…The Eva Series…' Suddenly, an idea pops up in her head. It was risky, but they had no choice. "Ritsuko…did we collect any of the copies of the Lance that SEELE's Eva Series used?"

Ritsuko becomes quiet, glancing at Commander Ikari briefly before sighing. "Yes, we had all twelve. Yes Misato, I said 'had.' SEELE designed these Lances differently than the original copies they created. They could transform into those bladed scythes, but SEELE traded that ability for a system in the Lance to defy and injure any Eva other than their Eva Series Units using it."

Misato frowns, "We don't have much choice, Rits." She points out. "We only have two Evas left. That isn't enough to penetrate it's AT Field, and I highly doubt it'll fall for the positron rifle attack again, especially since we have no one free to distract that thing. The worst part is we don't have the time to think of something better."

"Very well, Major Katsuragi." Commander Ikari's calm voice replies. "Doctor Akagi, send up one of the three Lances you've managed to reprogram." He types briefly on the computer in front of him, opening communications with Unit 00. "Rei, we're sending it up. Get in position."

* * *

Rei becomes silent, knowing exactly what they were sending up. "Understood." Unit 00 quickly dashes over to the nearby Eva elevator, which slowly opens. The Eva platform reaches the surface, a large sealed container attached to it. Needless to say, even though they were reprogrammed, Ritsuko was nervous about keeping the Lances so she had them put in sealed containers until they actually needed them.

Unit 00 draws the Prog. Knife in its shoulder holster and destroys the three security locks on the container, causing the door to fall to the side, revealing one of the three copies of the Lance of Longinous. Rei drops her Eva's Prog, Knife onto the ground and pulls out the Lance, gripping it with both hands.

Unit 02 quickly approaches, wonder what Rei was doing over near the Eva Elevator. Gormarc, strangely enough, chose not to attack during this time, curious if the children were coming up with a plan to defeat him. The moment Asuka sees the Lance in Rei's hand, she flinches. "Rei…is that-"

Rei doesn't reply, just nodding before cutting communications before approaching Gormarc, getting into position to throw. Gormarc sees the Lance in Unit 00's hands an actually laughs, "Hahaha. You actually think that will kill me? I'll admit though…your idea is a good one, but SEELE designed those to work properly only for their Evas. Are you really that desperate?"

The reason Rei stayed quiet to Asuka's question was because she wanted to check something, and she needed to bluff a little in order to do it. "How do you know this isn't the real Lance of Longinous?" Rei replies calmly. Gormarc froze instantly at that statement, suddenly quite afraid of her. "I believe the real Lance would easily slay you."

"Impossible! You took it back from Lord Varian?!" Gormarc demanded, roaring.

"No, but you just told us who has the real Lance." Rei replies, smirking slightly at tricking the Crimson Angel into revealing who had the true Lance of Longinous.

* * *

Morlina was enraged at Gormarc's sheer stupidity. "You damn idiot…" she growls, glaring furiously at the Crimson Angel, her voice heard clearly only by him. "Keep your mouth shut until you capture Unit 01."

Varian reappears, smiling faintly from under the hood of his cloak. "Well, SEELE promises not to screw up the next time, but my hopes aren't up that much." he admits, his voice slightly happy, which was rare for him. He glances around, taking note of the situation right now. "Impressive, Gormarc…you've done well this time. Three Evas defeated and crippled, with only two remaining." He just now notices the Lance copy in Unit 00's hands. "Wait…is that one of the copies of the Lance that SEELE's Eva Series used?"

"Yes." Morlina replies flatly, "Gormarc was tricked into thinking it was the real one and was tricked into demanding how they took it back from you, Lord Varian."

Varian becomes quiet before responding, speaking to Gormarc, who flinches at his words. "…You have revealed too much information. Kill everyone in the Geofront or face my wrath."

Asuka and Rei didn't hear those voices, but they could tell the Crimson Angel revealed too information and, based on how scared he looked, was scorned rather harshly. "Heh, what's wrong?" Asuka taunts, "Your 'Lord Varian' probably scolded you for telling us about the Lance. He sounds like some cliché villain from the sound of it."

"SILENCE!" Gormarc roared, firing another Adamant Barrage at the Evas but, in his rage, he mostly missed the Evas, who worked together to block it the ones that did manage to nearly hit them with an AT Field. "You dare disrespect my Master?!"

"Wow, that explains a lot, huh Rei?" Asuka chuckles, enjoying the look of fury on Gormarc's face. "This 'Lord Varian' must be the leader of these Crimson Angels, huh?" She was enjoying every second of this fight now. Her taunts were both infuriating the enemy into missing his attacks AND revealing information.

The Crimson Angel roars, channeling his AT Field into the ground again. A barrage of rock spires erupt from the ground at the Evas, but they both easily dodge them, Asuka's continuing taunts causing Gormarc to lose focus and miss more often. "So, what's your goal? Team up with those idiots in SEELE and use their Eva Series to cause Fourth Impact?"

The silence after that statement was priceless. "…Wow, that theory of mine was actually right?" Asuka asks Misato, opening communications with Nerv Commander Center.

"That is correct." Commander Ikari's cold voice replies instead. "However, I wish to discuss this with the rest of the pilots later, as they need something else first." he closes communications.

"…I think I already know what else they need." Asuka mutters softly, shifting her focus to the battle and her time remaining. 1:30. 'Shiest…Okay, I hate doing this but…' Unit 02 draws its Prog. Knife, getting ready to charge. "Rei, I'll distract him while you throw the Lance at him."

"Understood." Unit 00 prepares to throw the Lance, the Magi quickly making the proper calculations in order to directly hit its S2 Core. Unit 02 charged straight at Gormarc, dodging another barrage of diamond shards before being blocked by a row of rock pillars, which she promptly cut through before trying to stab Gormarc in the head. It barely raises its AT Field in time, only just blocking Unit 02 before push Asuka away. Unknown to Asuka, her sync ratio had risen up to the mid 80s and was holding.

"I guess you can't manipulate the ground and hide behind your field at the same time, huh?" Asuka smirks, firing her Needle Gun Launcher from her other shoulder holster, managing to break through the AT Field and hitting Gormarc in his front right leg.

"HOW DARE YOU HUMILIATE ME LIKE THIS WHILE MY MASTER IS WATCHING!"

* * *

"Scan for anything abnormal in the Geofront." Gendo Ikari ordered. "I want anything, no matter how small, reported immediately."

"…Rei has changed a lot…" Misato mutters, "I never knew she could bluff so well."

Ritsuko nods, frowning. "Neither did I…"

"Sir!" Hyuga shouts, catching everyone's attention. "I'm detecting a faint Crimson Waveform pattern one mile east of the Crimson Angel's current position."

Commander Ikari quickly opens a comm. window to Eva Unit 00. "Rei, we've detected another Crimson Angel. Unit 02 will handle this target while you attack the other one."

Her answer shocked everyone in the room. "I refuse that order." She throws the Lance straight at Gormarc. Asuka notices the conversation on the intercom and, despite her shock, manages to jump to the side, evading the Lance as it hits Gormarc's AT Field. It roars in fury as the Lance slowly pierces his field and pierces the side of his neck, just missing the armor.

"…Damn you…bitch." Gormarc mutters, glaring at Unit 00. Asuka swears to herself and manages to crawl away ten meters before her Eva suddenly stops. Her activation limit was reached. She swears angrily, but is slightly grateful the Crimson Angel is more focused on Rei rather than her.

Rei frowned slightly, realizing she only missed his S2 Core by an inch or two according to the Magi's calculations. "Rei, why the hell did you disobey Commander Ikari's order?" Ritsuko demanded, opening communications with Unit 00.

"I refused to abandon a friend on the battlefield." Rei replies flatly, slightly surprised at her own response.

Ritsuko becomes silent, "You have less than a minute. I'm sending up another Lance." Another sealed container reaches to surface next to Rei from the Eva Elevator. "This time, don't miss." she closes communications.

Rei wasted no time in picking up her Prog. Knife and breaking the locks on the container, opening it and pulling out the second copy of the Lance they stole from the Eva Series. She glanced at the time she had left.

0:30

Unit 00 didn't bother throwing the Lance, instead deciding to charge straight at Gormarc. The Crimson Angel roars, firing a barrage of diamond shards and rock spire from under Rei, but she skillfully dodges every single attack, only getting light scratches on her Eva's armor. Gormarc's face was afraid as Unit 00 moves almost like lightning on the field, now right on top of him with no AT Field to shield him. He quickly withdraws into his shell, armor forming the openings just as Rei stabs the Lance into him. She didn't aim for the armored openings, but instead stabbed straight through its shell like it was butter and piercing Gormarc's S2 Core before deactivating.

* * *

"…Holy shit." Hyuga mutters, awed at Rei's piloting skill before checking her sync score. "She…reached a sync ratio of 100..."

Ritsuko was speechless, as was most of the personnel who knew Rei. She disobeyed orders, charged recklessly at the enemy rather than attack from a distance, AND reached the best sync score she ever achieved, all in the same battle.

"Well…" Misato states calmly, breaking the silence. "That was an interesting battle."

Surprisingly, Asuka managed to get visuals and audio of the area in front of her. Before she could question how she could without any power, she notices two figures approach the nearby corpse of the 6th Crimson Angel, which has already started burning to ashes. Both of the figures are wearing black hooded cloaks, but one is slightly taller than the other. One of them, the shorter of the two, speaks in a woman's voice. "Gormarc failed it seems…Obviously, we've underestimated the First's power."

The other figure nods, speaking in the voice of a young man. "If anything, I expected the Second Child to awaken before Rei." He walks over to the ashes of what remains of Gormarc and picks up a small red glass shard, which glows faintly. "Pity he lost…He was one of the strongest in terms of defense."

"Lord Varian…" the woman's voice replied, causing Asuka's eyes to widen, realizing the thief of the Lance of Longinous was right in front of her. "Perhaps we should leave and discuss with the others which of our servants to awaken next…We only have six resurrection stones left and we can't afford to waste them."

"True…but we could also have SEELE send their Eva Series again." He replies calmly. Asuka was stunned but continued to listen rather than speak out, deciding that the more information she managed to get out of eavesdropping, the better off she and the other pilots would be. "I funded them in order to get their Eva Series for our plan and retrieve Unit 01, but they can't even do THAT right." Varian sighs, shaking his head. "I even ordered SEELE to send assassins to kill the pilots so we could steal Unit 01 more easily, but failed to kill even ONE of them. The only thing they accomplished was putting two into a coma and awakening the Third's powers."

Asuka growls as she grips her controls tightly. After the Angels and Third Impact, she and Shinji just wanted to have peaceful lives…well, mostly Shinji, yet they we forced to fight because SEELE wanted Unit 01. On their own, SEELE didn't have the resources to continue against them, but these guys funded them, sent Crimson Angels that hurt herself and her friends, they even ordered SEELE to send assassins to come and try to kill them, all of this over a stupid Eva Unit. Misato, Kaji, Sarah, and Patrick were in the hospital thanks to them.

Shinji was unconscious, likely in a coma, after protecting her from the assassins…thanks to those assholes.

At this point, Asuka didn't care if she had no power in her Eva Unit. She wanted to kill that bastard for so casually speaking about trying to kill them. She was about to eject her entry plug and run over to that monster to beat him up when a soft voice stops her cold. "I'm so proud of you, Asuka."

The Second's eyes widen, remembering the same voice speaking to her just before she fought the JSSDF forces before Third Impact. "…Mama?"

* * *

Hyuga was looking at the sensors, noticing the earlier small Crimson Waveform pattern near the remains of the 6th Crimson Angel. "Any changes in the target?" Misato asks calmly, but knowing they could do nothing about it without an Eva Unit.

"No, Major. The target has not disappeared but it isn't going on the offensive either…" Hyuga frowns slightly, "It's almost like it just wanted to personally observe the battle rather than fight us."

Misato sighs, "We can't do much without any Eva Units to fight, so we'll have to let this guy go…I doubt guns would do much anyways…"

Alarms start sounding, startling most of the people in the control room. "What's going on?!" Ritsuko demanded, almost spilling her cup of coffee from the sudden alarm, which Maya got for her after the 6th Crimson Angel went silent.

Maya looked shocked. "Unit 02 reactivated! Asuka's sync level reached 400!"

That announcement chilled Misato to the bone, remembering exactly what happened to the last person who reached that level of synchronization, Shinji. He lost his physical body and it took a month before they managed to reverse it. "Give me a visual of the pilot!" she ordered without thinking.

"We can't!" Hyuga shouted, "Visual connection is still cut off from Unit 02!"

"Then open voice only communications!" she countered, running over to the control panel and putting on a headset, speaking into it. "Asuka, are you there? Asuka?!"

* * *

Lord Varian turns around calmly; facing the now reactivated Unit 02 as it slowly rises to its feet. Morlina backed away from the Eva, nervous about the energy now surrounding its body. The shoulder holsters shatter like Unit 01's did during Third Impact, Unit 02 growing two diamond-shaped wings like Unit 01 did when Shinji reached 300 sync. However, unlike Unit 01, Asuka's Eva was surrounded by a faint orange aura as he 'wings' split in half, spreading out and reforming to create two more wings.

"How amusing…" Lord Varian states calmly, as if talking about the weather. Unit 02 was standing at this point, surrounded by the faint orange aura and with four diamond-shaped AT Field wings on its back. "I expected the Third to reach this level before you did, Second Child. I'm actually surprised you reached a sync ratio of 400, and completely bypassing the 300 level."

"SHUTUP!" Asuka roars, her Eva's right fist slamming right into the two cloaked figure. The ground around her punched is leveled by the force; the orange aura acting like Patrick's AT Field did, by increasing the magnitude of the damage done by her Eva's fist. The two cloaked figures reappear a few meters away from the destruction, now standing on the ashes of what remains of Gormarc. Oddly enough, both copies of the Lance are still intact, one of them sticking out of the ground while the other is just laying flat on the earth.

"Impressive…however, attacking me is pointless." He states calmly, a tone of mocking in his voice. "You've reached the highest sync ratio any pilot has ever achieved…but you don't stand a chance as you are right now."

Asuka starts swearing in German as she unconsciously focuses her Eva's AT Field into its right fist and punches down at him. The young man walks forward, in front of the woman and projects his AT Field, crimson in color, and blocks it. "How pitiful…Is this the best you can do, Second Child?" Despite blocking it, the ground underneath him is cracked from the force of the punch.

Eva Unit 02 grabs the Lance copy sticking out of the ground next to her with her left hand and stabs it straight at Varian. His eyes widen as his AT Field is slowly pierced by the Lance and barely sidesteps in time to evade it. The force of the stab breaks up the nearby ground, causing a dust cloud to form. As it clears away, a drop of blood falls onto the ground with only Varian in the crater, the woman out of range, her eyes fearful. "I haven't even started!" the pilot of Unit 02 shouts, throwing another AT Field infused punch straight at him.

Suddenly, a clawed hand appears in front of the fist and stops it. The claw is the same one what burst out of the shadows of the Crimson Angel meeting room when Darvin and Chivalt were about to fight each other. However, the arm behind the clawed hand is transparent, fading into nothing. The young man raises is head to face Unit 02; his eyes filled with fury as an aura of bloodlust surrounds his body. Part of his hood has a large gash in it, his cheek is cut as well but it quickly closes. "To force me to even use my powers and even injure me…I've underestimated you, child." His normal voice is overlapped by a chilling demonic voice. "However, you aren't even worth my time…Morlina, restrain her."

"R-Right." The woman replies fearfully as she pulls out her staff. Dark purple and black energy surrounds the gem at its tip.

"Don't screw with me!" Asuka roars, channeling her Eva's AT Field into her left fist before firing a punch straight at the woman. Before she could reach the woman, the air around her became heavy and her Eva collapsed onto the ground, barely staying on its hands and knees. "What…the hell?"

"Morlina just created a gravity field around you and our Eva. Right now you are experiencing 10 times Earth's normal gravity." Varian states calmly, the demonic voice fading away as the clawed hand vanishes. Freed from the clawed hand's grasp, it is pinned to the ground, also affected by the gravity field.

"You…won't win…" Asuka gasps out, feeling like her entire body was being crushed . "I won't…let you take…Unit 01..."

Varian smiles faintly. "You're very clever, but figuring that out was quite easy considering Gormarc couldn't keep his mouth shut." He signals to Morlina to stop. She withdraws her staff and the gravity field vanishes, but it doesn't matter, as Asuka can no longer find the strength to make her Eva stand. "I'll be leaving for today, child. However, the next time we fight, I will not be as merciful." Both cloaked figures vanish into thin air as Asuka falls unconscious.

* * *

The entire Nerv Command Center was silent, in awe at the scene they had just witnessed. "Retrieve the Eva Units immediately." Commander Ikari's cold voice snaps them out of their stupor and they get back to work, sending the retrieval teams out. "Unit 02 is to be put in cryostatis immediately. Doctor Akagi, what is the status of the Second Child?"

Ritsuko quickly checks on the screen next to Maya that details all of the pilots vital signs and synchronization scores. "She's in bad shape, but she isn't in critical condition yet." She pauses, "I should get down there just in cause, though." Commander Ikari nods, letting Ritsuko quickly leave with Misato right behind her.

Fuyutsuki was quite shaken by the events that transpired so far in the past twenty four hours. Shinji projected an AT Field, Rei disobeyed orders and reached 100 synchronization, and Asuka reached 400 synchronization. "Eventful day…" he mutters, loud enough so Commander Ikari could hear.

"Yes." He responds in a calm voice.

* * *

A/N: Ugh…I can only focus on writing while in school and I don't have a flash drive (or Microsoft Word on my computer) so I'm stuck typing it in school, printing it out, and retyping it at home. Sigh.

Anyways, I wanted Asuka to be the one to be the star and kill Gormarc but then Rei just…wow. She kicked ass out there, which I didn't even see coming. So in order to give Asuka some stardom this chapter, I had her briefly fight Lord Varian, the human-form Crimson Angel's leader, which turned out pretty good. See you next time!

Read and Review!


	19. Truth of the Crimson Angels

A/N: Ah ha! I have found a solution to my problem. I've installed Microsoft Word on my computer AND used a CD to transfer it from the school computer to my computer. Time and effort are both saved!

Also, I'd figure I tell you now if you haven't figured it out. I've been using some Manga material (Which I find a great deal more interesting than the Anime version) in my story. I'll be using this material a great deal, but I'll be using some of the information from the End of Evangelion Movie to fill in the gaps (The Manga isn't finished yet).

A/A/N: One more thing. Don't expect me to get the next chapter this early again, I was lucky the school computer let me get away with this to begin with. My teachers were fine with it, but the computer didn't like it much.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

Her body felt very weak, almost lifeless as she slowly opened her blue eyes, staring at the white ceiling. She shut her eyes painfully, the light from the room causing her head to ache. "Well, it seems you've woken up." Ritsuko states calmly, writing something on a clipboard before standing up. "How do you feel?"

Asuka opens her eyes again, looking around for anyone else in her room besides herself and Ritsuko. Luckily, there was no one so Asuka could speak honestly about her condition without being teased. "Well…My body feels weak…and my head hurts…but besides that, I'm fine." Asuka mutters, sighing.

"I thought you might be in that condition." Ritsuko notes, writing something else on the clipboard. "Shinji was in the same state after his body was retrieved from Unit 01 after he reached a sync ratio of 400."

The redhead sighs, trying to remember that time. Unit 01 was fighting against the 14th Angel when it happened. 'Ouch…thinking hurts right now…' she mutters to herself, clutching her forehead almost reflexively from the pain. "Ho-How's Shinji…and the others?" Asuka asks softly.

Doctor Akagi decided not to tease Asuka about mentioning Shinji first, seeing she was in no real condition to retort. "Well, all of your sync ratios weren't high enough to die from anything short of lethal damage." She frowns, "Toji had numerous fractures in his body but we managed to heal those rather quickly. However, both Toji and Kensuke had a few ribs broken so they'll be here for a few weeks."

"I asked about Shinji…not your life story…" Asuka mutters softly, not quite loud enough for Ritsuko to hear clearly.

"Anyways, Sarah has her right arm broken so she'll be wearing a cast for a couple of weeks." Ritsuko states calmly, "If her Eva wasn't deactivated when it was, she'd probably be dead." She notices Asuka's glare and continues. "Rei is completely unharmed…physically, at least. She acted completely out of character for her usual self."

Asuka smiles faintly, remembering Rei's words and actions. "Yeah…but what about Shinji?"

"Both Shinji and Patrick have woken up and are both likely home resting. Misato and Kaji have also recovered from their injuries."

Asuka sighs with relief, grateful everyone was okay. "So…how long have I been out?"

"About three days." Ritsuko admitted, causing Asuka to open her eyes again and sit up quickly, gasping in pain from trying that move though. "Asuka, if you move around like that, you'll injure yourself."

The Second Child breathes heavily, clutching her chest. "I don't care…What happened…to that bastard?"

Ritsuko raises an eyebrow, "The Crimson Angel or the cloaked person?"

"That cloaked bastard, Lord Varian."

Doctor Akagi blinks, trying to process that revelation. "You mean…the cloaked figure was Varian?"

"Don't play innocent." Asuka snapped, "You could have easily heard everything with the recorder in Unit 02-" she gasps softly, clutching her head in pain.

Ritsuko becomes deathly quiet. "The recorder wasn't working properly…so we have no idea what was said between you two…and we only have sketchy details about what happened in your fight." She pauses before continuing. "What happened?"

"Ugh…well, somehow I had visuals and audio without power-"

"Wait, what?" Ritsuko looks surprised. "How is that possible?"

Asuka glares at her before continuing. "Anyways, I heard the other cloaked person, a woman, that the other one was Lord Varian." Before Ritsuko interrupted, she continued, "Yes, she called him by name. After that, Varian was just reminiscing over the recent events. He was behind, or so he said, SEELE's funding, the Crimson Angels attacking us, and that assassination plot against us."

Ritsuko nods, frowning slightly. "That matches up to what we thought."

"…What?" Asuka demanded, wincing in pain again from the headache. "Ugh…can I get something for this headache?"

Ritsuko nods, taking out a bottle of pills and handing Asuka one, along with a glass of water from the nearby side table. "Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki managed to find a rare copy of some ancient document, similar to the Dead Sea Scroll, which had information regarding the Crimson Angels."

"…Why didn't you tell me or the other Pilots sooner?" Asuka demanding, swallowing the pill. "Seriously, didn't you think we NEEDED this information?" she winces again.

"Commander Ikari was planning to tell all of you yesterday night but then SEELE sent assassins, remember?" Ritsuko reminds her calmly. "Now, continue with what happened and I'll tell you what we know about the Crimson Angels afterwards."

"Fine…" The Second Child mutters darkly before continuing, "After he said all that…" Asuka continues with her recount of what happened, Ritsuko more focused on the cloaked figure's actions and words that Asuka. "…and then I fell unconscious." Asuka states calmly, finishing her story. "I wish I could have been able to kill the bastard…" she mutters darkly.

"We rarely get what we want, Asuka." Ritsuko sighed, shaking her head. "You were lucky enough not to be injured at that high a sync, let alone still alive. According to what information we know and have gathered, Lord Varian is the leader and strongest of the Crimson Angels. The 17th Crimson Angel." She pauses before continuing. "Everyone has already been briefed about the truth by Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki, so I'll tell you the truth."

Asuka nods before responding, "Go ahead…I think I know most of what you'll explain but tell me the whole thing anyways."

"Okay, I'll be frank about this. You've all noticed how cruel and evil these creatures have been. These are far from being Angels, they're demons." Ritsuko stated bleakly. Asuka just nods, working that out on her own. "All of them used to be true Angels before-" she pauses, frowning. "I don't need to go into the bible for you, do I?"

"No thanks." Asuka states flatly, "I've read through it and I know what you're getting at."

"Good, I'm not a firm believer in religion when you get down to it." Ritsuko admits, "Science has a logical explanation, religious thoughts like God don't."

"Can you just get to the point?" Asuka demanded.

"Right. At any rate, the 'Crimson Angels' are separated into two categories. Human form and demon form." Ritsuko explains, causing Asuka to snort at the names. "The terms are simple and get to the point, Asuka. At any rate, the demon formed Crimson Angels are the six we've defeated so far. There are seventeen total…and the documents we got our hands on implied that there a twelve demon form and five human form Crimson Angels…but you confirmed that."

Asuka nods, "They need to use 'Resurrection Stones' to summon their lackeys because they prefer not fighting us themselves?"

"It seems like it. If we manage to defeat all of the demon form Crimson Angels, however, we'll have to defeat the human formed ones too…and their leader, Lord Varian, seems out of everyone's league right now." Ritsuko states bleakly. "Commander Ikari wants everyone to practice on the simulators at least twice a week. That will help you and the rest of the pilots improve your skills and synchronization ratios."

The Second Child doesn't feel as weak as she did earlier so she throws the covers off her and stands up, picking up her clothes before heading to the bathroom. "I'm sure you won't mind me leaving." Asuka calls at Ritsuko through the door, getting dressed.

Doctor Akagi sighs, "You can if you want, but Shinji will be here in a few minutes." Asuka pauses in dressing herself, frowning. "He comes by every day after school is over. Misato, Kaji, Rei, and Patrick come as well, the latter checking up on Sarah while the first three check up on you."

Asuka finishes getting dressed and walks back over to the bed, sighing. "Alright…I'll stay put for an hour at most." She sits down, resting her head on her pillow. "…I'm hungry."

Ritsuko stands up, now finished taking notes and walks over to the door. "I'll have someone bring you some food. Don't expect much from the hospital, though. The food here isn't all that great compared to Shinji's cooking…according to Misato, at least." Doctor Akagi leaves the room and shuts the door behind her, planning to inform Commander Ikari of the information, but nearly runs into Misato when she turns around.

"Hi, Rits." Misato says cheerfully, with Kaji next to her. "How's Asuka?"

Ritsuko smiles, "How about you see for yourself?" she offered, opening the door. "I have to give a report to Commander Ikari…and a copy will be sent to you."

Misato didn't hear that, rushing into the room with Kaji following slowly. "I'll tell her later." He offered, smiling as Misato tightly hugged Asuka, who had trouble breathing at that point. "She feels like those kids are like family…so she's been worried about them like a true mother would be worried about her children."

"I guess she has some good traits." Ritsuko chuckled, looking around. "Where's Shinji?"

Kaji shrugs, "He said he was planning on seeing Kensuke and Toji first for a change." He frowns, looking at Asuka, who is now free of Misato's hug and yelling about how Misato was trying to crush her to death. "Did you tell her about the truth?"

"Yeah…and she told me a few interesting details that happened that the recorder missed." Ritsuko added, "You and Misato will get a copy of the report later on."

"Okay…well, seeya later." Kaji remarked, entering the room to join in the reunion.

Doctor Akagi smiles at Misato before closing the door to Asuka's room. She then sighs, looking over her report. "Well…I better give this to Commander Ikari…" Ritsuko walks down the hall and towards her office, in higher spirits after seeing Misato and Kaji.

* * *

"Shinji, you're a lifesaver!" Kensuke cheered, taking his DS Lite from Shinji, remembering to take his games as well, and turning it on.

Toji just rolls his eyes, taking the laptop Shinji brought from Sarah's room. "Thanks Shinji…now he won't bother me to death about how cool the Evas are…or how epic Asuka was by reaching 400 sync." He notices Shinji sigh at this so he continues, "Sorry about that…If we were better at piloting than Asuka might not have ended up like that."

"…Despite how cool piloting Eva is, Toji has a point there." Kensuke replies ruefully. "I panicked and let my guard down out there…leaving me completely open." He winces slightly, gently placing his hand on his chest, remembering the pain.

"I'm surprised you came here first, Shinji." Toji added. Shinji looks confused so Toji continues talking, his face a mix between amusement and slight annoyance. "You usually visit your girlfriend first."

Shinji blushes, very glad Asuka didn't hear that. "S-Shutup!" he shouts, his face red with embarrassment. "It isn't like that!"

Kensuke rolls his eyes, "We aren't blind, Shinji." He points out, shifting his glasses up his nose. "We just didn't make an issue of it besides teasing you both in class because…well…err…" he hesitates, trying to think of saying this without sounding offensive.

"Asuka used to act like a psycho bitch." Toji states bluntly, causing Kensuke to flinch.

"…You didn't need to be so frank about it…" Kensuke mutters.

"She isn't like that." Shinji replies firmly, "Asuka is a nice person deep down."

Toji shakes his head, "That's not what the majority of us saw in her, Shinji." He frowns, "That might be the truth, but most of us saw her irrational anger management problems." Shinji is about to speak but Toji cuts him off. "We know, there's more to her than that, but we never saw that…until recently."

Shinji nods, "She hasn't really changed…she's just letting her good side come out." He hesitates, "There are two ways to deal with loss. The first one was what I did, just try to act normal and isolate yourself." Toji frowns and Kensuke nods. "The second one is what Asuka did, and still is doing somewhat. She hid the pain behind a 'wall,' trying to act strong when in fact…she felt emotionally weak. In truth, both of us were lonely…"

Kensuke shrugs, "It turned out okay, though. Asuka made friends with Hikari, you made friends with us, and, eventually, you both made friends with each other."

"Asuka isn't as much of a psycho bitch now though…and acts more like a normal girl." Toji adds, agreeing with Kensuke. "By the way, how long is Sarah letting me borrow this laptop?"

"Sarah said she'll take it back when she gets tired of waiting for you to return it when you're done with it." Shinji replies, shrugging as he begins walking to the door, planning to visit Asuka. "I'll be back later."

Toji nods but Kensuke wasn't paying attention, more focused on his game. Eventually, Kensuke looks at Toji curiously, "Why did you want to borrow Sarah's laptop rather than mine?"

His face became slightly red, "Well…you don't have MSN Messenger so-"

"Wait, you're planning on chatting with the class rep?" Kensuke demanded accusingly, "She's almost as bad as Asuka!"

Toji glares at Kensuke, "You see only one side of her. She's really a sweet and nice person."

"Sorry, I don't see that in her. She even hits you with her school bag for no reason." Kensuke added. "Right, Shinji?" He looks around, but Shinji has already left. "Huh?"

"He left already." Toji points out, setting up the camera and microphone before opening a chat window with Hikari. Luckily, Hikari isn't busy and at home, so she replies immediately.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Hikari screams angrily, causing Kensuke to drop his Nintendo DS in shock while Toji just flinched, staring right at Hikari's face.

Hikari's face was a mixture of concern and anger, but her eyes betrayed that looked, filled with compassion and love, though Toji wouldn't admit the latter. He sighs, "You don't have to shout, class rep. Besides, I'm in a hospital-"

"You ended up in a hospital? You idiot!" Hikari snapped angrily, her voice lower than it was earlier. "Are you TRYING to make me- I mean, the teacher and entire class worry about you?"

"Don't you mean just you worry?" Kensuke grumbles, loud enough to be heard as he puts up his DS from the floor. "Good, your screaming didn't cause my DS to-"

"Kensuke Aida!" Hikari shouts angrily, "You have two homework assignments and a class project to make up from your absences for the past three days!"

"School wasn't even open on Saturday and Sunday." He points out, nearly dropping his Nintendo DS again from being yelled at.

"Yes, but its Monday and we had homework today AND Friday. Not to mention the class project you were also suppose to do over the weekend!"

Kensuke glares at the computer screen, which Toji has turned towards him in order to avoid being yelled at further. "What about Toji? He didn't do that stuff either!"

"Oh, I know that already." Hikari replies, her face more calm now as her eyes soften at the mention of Toji. "Toji Suzahara, you'll need to make up that work as well…but if you want, I can spare some time to give you a hand with it."

"Oh sure…help him and not me." Kensuke complains, "Why can't you help me too?"

"You're smart enough to figure this stuff out on your own without my help, Toji isn't." Hikari pauses, "I'm not saying…you aren't smart, Toji, but Kensuke is an expert at math and you aren't."

"Yeah…I know." Toji replies, smiling faintly. "Now, can we just talk about something other than school for once, Hikari?"

Hikari blinks with surprise, so used to being called 'Class rep' by Toji she didn't know how to respond…especially since he wanted to talk about something that wasn't school related. "Oh, I guess so…but afterwards, we're discussing your homework assignments!"

Kensuke rolls his eyes, going back to his voice game while Toji smiles. "I wouldn't mind that at all, Hikari."

* * *

Shinji was happy that Asuka was conscious, even though the first thing she did when she saw him was slap him and accused him of being a reckless idiot. Third Impact, despite the parts that gave him headaches when he tried to remember, did give him a better understanding of human behavior. Asuka was afraid of showing what she called 'weakness,' which to him was showing compassion. As Asuka scolded him for his recklessness, he saw the part of her that actually showed gratitude for his idiocy and her worry for him.

After Asuka started to repeat herself, he decided to apologize. "I'm sorry, Asuka."

"…I don't accept it." Asuka retorts, scowling at Shinji. Misato and Kaji were still in the room, which is why Asuka had to put up a strong front so people don't get the idea she was going 'soft' or 'weak,' as Shinji heard Asuka say about it.

Shinji hangs his head down and sighs, smiling to himself. In truth, Asuka likely didn't remember much about what happened during Third Impact, but he remembered certain parts of it if he concentrated. He was able to talk to Asuka, the REAL Asuka, during that time with no AT Field to separate their minds and souls. Shinji found out a great deal about Asuka, and she probably did the same to him.

Truthfully, he wondered if he should have aborted Third Impact…but then he realized that individuality would soon disappear…and he didn't want that to happen. What exactly happened during Third Impact was forgotten by everyone by Shinji, but there were parts he couldn't remember himself. What he truly wanted was acceptance from his father…and Asuka.

Speaking of Asuka, she was literally dragging Shinji away with Misato and Kaji slowly following them while he was lost in thought. "I'll finish yelling at you when we get home, idiot." She mutters softly, "So don't get comfortable."

"Okay, stop dragging Shinji." Misato scolds the redhead, causing her to let go and Shinji to fall down. Kaji helps Shinji back up to his feet, the latter deciding to glare at Asuka.

"Why'd you have to drag me?" Shinji demanded in a soft voice, "You just got out of the hospital yourself for being a reckless idiot."

Misato flinched, sensing the upcoming argument. "Wait, you two!" she snaps, "You can argue AFTER we get home…" Both of them glare at each other before looking away, snorting. Their guardian sighs, shaking her head. 'This is ridiculous…'

* * *

During Patrick's visit to Sarah, he decided not to discuss what that SEELE agent said…mainly because Sarah would either just deny it or break down into tears. He really didn't need her to break down or lie to him…she would tell him eventually. After his visit, he decided to talk with Rei about what happened after Sarah was shot and he lost control of himself, deciding to do something about it now. Rei, however, wasn't that interested.

"Can you teach me to control this?"

"No. You aren't meant to have the ability to do so."

"Come on Rei!" Patrick snaps, "I NEED control so this type of thing doesn't happen again!"

"Patrick Luminaire, the Fifth Child." Rei states calmly, a frown on her lips. "I'll admit you need training to use a normal AT Field for long periods of time without being knocked unconscious from the strain on your body and soul. However, the level after that is impossible to control for someone like yourself."

Patrick flinches, remembering brief visions of when he went berserk and seriously injured two of SEELE's assassins, one of which was responsible for the tragedy at Nevada's Nerv base. "Why is that?"

"You need full control of your emotions; something most people are unable to do." Rei states calmly. Patrick is about to reply but Rei cuts him off. "You don't have control over your emotions, Fifth Child; you are just suppressing those emotions out of fear."

He flinches, stepping back. "How did you-"

"The fact you rarely show any feelings that are negative, and coupled with the way you acted when you lost your temper, showed me you can't control them." Rei replies firmly. "Unless you can control your own anger rather than hide it away, I refuse to even try teaching you control over a power you can't even begin to understand."

Silence fell between the two of them. "…I understand, Rei." Patrick replies calmly, trying to suppress the urge to retort. "Thank you for telling me this…" he walks away, deciding that Rei wasn't going to teach him and he shouldn't try on his own. Patrick sighs, wondering how the others are doing. 'Toji and Kensuke are probably playing video games. Asuka is probably unconscious still but…' He shrugs, heading back to the car.

* * *

Patrick sighs, noticing two things when he returned to Misato's car. One was that Asuka was now conscious and, unsurprisingly, arguing with Misato. Her complaints centered on the point of why they weren't leaving yet. The second thing he noticed was the distinct lack of space in the car for five people to be in it. "Hey, can you quit yelling at Misato? I'm here now so we can leave."

Asuka turns around to glare at Patrick. "Oh great, how are we going to fit five people into this car?" she mutters darkly, turning to glare at Misato again, who is now smirking. Asuka KNEW that smirk and what she was about to suggest, but Asuka didn't even want to hear it. "No, Misato. I refuse."

"Refuse what exactly?" Misato asks curiously, still smirking.

"You're going to suggest that I sit in Shinji's lap or something else perverted, aren't you?" Asuka demanded, blushing at the thought. Shinji's face was no less red from that idea either.

Misato grins, "Actually, I was going to suggest leaving Kaji here, but that's a great idea. I never thought you'd think of such an idea, Asuka."

Asuka's jaw fell, realizing Misato TRICKED her into saying that rather than saying it herself. "It's a good idea…but perhaps Shinji should sit in Asuka's lap instead." Kaji suggested.

"Good idea Kaji." Misato replies cheerfully, smirking at the two red-faced Pilots.

'Note to self: Never, EVER give Misato a reason or way to tease me and Sarah like that.' Patrick thinks to himself, watching as the two pilots argue against it, despite the fact they'll be forced to do it anyways.

* * *

The ride back for Patrick was normal, though a bit amusing. Misato and Kaji were enjoying every minute of this, but Misato had to focus on driving more often than on the two children.

The ride back to the apartment for Asuka and Shinji was very awkward and embarrassing for the both of them. The seatbelt wasn't long enough to strap both pilots in, so Asuka had to wear the seatbelt and wrap her arms around Shinji's waist so he wouldn't go flying at a sudden stop. The blush on their faces didn't decrease at all since the idea was mentioned. In fact, their blush was worse now that they were so close to each other. Asuka's breasts were pressed against Shinji's back, not improving her own blush at the situation.

After the drive that lasted for what seemed like hours, but was in reality ten minutes, Misato parked the car in the apartment complex' parking lot. Asuka, despite her open rejection of this idea, did somewhat enjoy being this close to Shinji. She would never, EVER admit that to ANYONE though, not even Hikari. She would call it scandalous behavior if she even heard about this.

Misato grinned, looking at the two Pilots. "So, did you enjoy the ride?" she teased.

Asuka managed to give her a dark look, "No, we didn't." she retorted.

Shinji just shakes his head, afraid to even speak right now. The same thoughts Asuka had about the ride were going through his head as well. "Okay, enough." Patrick glares at Misato. "You've embarrassed them enough. Let them take their time with this."

"Fine, patty cake." Misato says sweetly, causing Patrick's eye to twitch.

"…What did you call me?" Patrick demanded, annoyed at that nickname. Kaji notices the door on Shinji and Asuka's side of the car open, but decides not to comment. Luckily, Misato doesn't notice this. "How about I call you Missy Ato?" Patrick retorts.

Misato laughs softly, "You need to work on your name calling, right lovebirds?" she turns to where Asuka and Shinji were sitting, but they are no longer there. "Aw, I was going to take a picture of their seating arrangements for blackmail material." She joked.

Speaking of Shinji and Asuka, they've already reached the door to the apartment, both still red in the face and exhausted from running all the way up the stairs. "…Shinji, tell ANYONE about what happened today and I'll-"

"I won't." Shinji replies quickly, "Toji and Kensuke would never let me hear the end of it if they heard about it." He unlocks the door with the spare keys Misato gave him a couple of days ago. "Let's just get inside…"

"Right…" Asuka replies, rushing into the apartment and into her room, shutting the door behind her. When she was finally alone, she mutters to herself. "Hikari wouldn't let me hear the end of it either…"

* * *

"We were so close!" Chivalt roars, slamming his fist into the table.

"Silence." Darvin's old voice snaps, glaring at the image of Unit 02 with four AT Field wings and an orange aura around its body. "Unit 02 awoke faster than expected…But it won't be able to reach the next level before our remaining servants fall."

The young man stands up, causing everyone's attention to be focused on him. "You all saw the potential these children have…which is why I've decided to accelerate the plan. We're awakening Radmiir immediately and having him attack from orbit."

"Radmiir of the Heavenly Artillery…" Shalock mutters, looking at the young man. "Lord Varian…is that a wise move? Shouldn't we wait-"

"No." Varian replies shortly, causing the boy to become silent. "As of now, they can't use three Evas. The remaining four are the strongest they have and I refuse to just let them continue to increase their power at the rate they've been going." He stands up, glaring at the assembly. "Morlina, inform SEELE that their Lance copies need reprogramming so Ikari's Evas can't use them. Darvin, you are to infiltrate Nerv HQ and gather any and all information that they have regarding us, and their Evas and Pilots. Chivalt and Shalock, come with me."

Lord Varian begins walking towards the shadows of the room with Chivalt and Shalock following him. As they enter the shadows, nothing is seen or heard except their footsteps. After ten minutes, they reach a large metal doorway, illuminated on the sides by torches. Varian raises his hand, palm out and the door opens slowly, a gust of wind knocking the light of the torches out.

Beyond the doorway is a featureless plain, the darkness not allowing much to be seen. Varian, followed by the two other cloaked figures, walks through the doorway, revealing they are in an enclosed space, surrounded by high cliffs. Lord Varian looks up to the sky, seeing the light of the stars clearly in the deep darkness. He pulls out a small red stone, similar to the shard he picked up from Gormarc's burned corpse.

"My Lord…why are you so insistent on sending Radmiir so soon after Gormarc fell?" Shalock asks curiously.

"My reasons were stated already, Shalock." Varian replies in a firm voice.

"Those reasons were bullshit, Lord Varian." Chivalt snaps, not flinching at Varian's glare. "If that's what you truly thought, why did you wait until the Second woke up?"

The silence in the air was oppressive, ominous. "…You knew that, huh?" Varian replies in a soft voice. "The reason I waited was because I wanted to see if the Second Child has the capability to reach that level of synchronization again…and see if the Third Child will awaken now." The red stone in his hand glows brightly, rising into the air before transforming into a large S2 Core, energy surrounding it as three large rings of energy are created around it that constantly spin around the sphere.

"…So, that's Radmiir huh?" Shalock mutters, staring as it begins hovering higher and higher into the sky and out of the enclosed area the three cloaked figures are standing in.

"Yes…his power is great enough to level a city when fully charged." Varian smirks, crossing his arms across his chest. "Let's see how the children deal with a threat from orbit."

* * *

A/N: As stated previously, it's easier to update this now. You may cheer and scowl at me for leaving such an evil cliffhanger, but I could have done worse to you guys. Anyways, I'll TRY to get updates out more often, but don't hold your breath.

Read and Review.


	20. Orbital Strike

A/N: Okay, coupled with the school computer and my writing skills (Which the earlier chapters will be edited with after I reach the midpoint), I'll be able to update at least once every two weeks. I'm thinking of creating a separate story with information and explanations of certain chapters. This, if I actually decide to go through with it, will be done after my earlier chapter editing/rewrite.

Well, let's get on with the story shall we?

Disclaimer: You got it, people! I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion. Not the Anime, Manga, or Movies.

* * *

Asuka sighed, getting more than a little annoyed at Misato's nonstop teasing. Shinji, luckily, was in the kitchen just finishing up with cooking dinner, so he couldn't hear this at all. "Are you done yet?" the redhead finally demanded angrily, glaring at Misato.

Misato smirks, "Not at all, but it's starting to get boring without your retorts." She noted, "What's wrong, run out of comebacks?"

"Not at all, you bilge drinker." Asuka retorts, causing Misato to glare at the Second Child.

"Dinner is ready!" Shinji called from the kitchen. Asuka wasted no time in getting up and rushing into the kitchen, not desiring to hear Misato's continuous teasing any longer. Shinji turns around, noticing Asuka already seated in a chair.

"Oh, hi Asuka. I decided to cook the German sausages that I've been saving until you got out of the hospital." He looked faintly embarrassed.

"Oh, thanks Shinji." Asuka replied, her voice still slightly annoyed from Misato's teasing. "They better be delicious." She adds threateningly, hiding her gratitude.

Rei walks into the kitchen unnoticed, sitting in the chair across from Shinji. Asuka was secretly grateful to the First's choice, because if Misato was next to her, she'd just find another reason to tease her. Misato enters the kitchen shortly after Rei, sitting in the chair opposite her own, smiling as Shinji sets the table and sits down next to Asuka.

'Crap.' Asuka muttered, remembering that sitting next to Shinji would almost guarantee Misato commenting on it, especially after today's awkward drive back to the apartment. Before Misato could even comment, however, the city alarm went off. Asuka was NOT happy about that, much preferring another comment from Misato rather than another Crimson Angel. "Don't these assholes ever take a vacation?" she demanded angrily.

"It could be a false alarm." Misato replied hopefully. Just after that statement, however, her cellphone began to ring. She checked who it was before sighing and answering it. "Ritsuko…PLEASE tell me this is a false alarm."

"Sorry Misato. The 7th Crimson Angel is in orbit right now and it's protected itself with an energy barrier that prevented our missiles from damaging it." Ritsuko replies flatly.

"Can't it wait until dinner is done, at least?" Misato demanded plaintively.

"No, it can't. It already fired a warning shot with a particle beam cannon. It hit the ruins of Old Tokyo. Needless to say, there isn't much left standing anymore."

"There wasn't much standing to begin with…" Misato mutters darkly before replying. "Fine, we'll be there in a few minutes." She hangs up and looks at the children apologetically. "Sorry…it's another Crimson Angel."

Rei nodded and immediately stood up. "This isn't fair…" the redhead mutters, standing up as well. Shinji just sighs before also standing up. "Fine, let's go." Asuka sighed, realizing there was no way out of this.

* * *

"Great…another damned enemy." Sarah mutters, glancing at the door. She decides not to even bother getting up this time. The door opens and Patrick enters, surprising Sarah quite a bit. "Patrick? How'd you get here so fast?"

"I walked back after forgetting my apartment keys in Ritsuko's office." He admitted ruefully, pulling them out and showing them to Sarah. "I was about to leave Nerv when I heard the alarm and decided to get you up out of bed."

"Patrick…My Eva isn't even repaired yet and I'm in NO shape to even pilot right now." Sarah points out, sitting up slowly. "What could I even do in this shape?"

Patrick sighs, "You could at least cheer on the pilots that CAN fight rather than sulk here." Sarah glares at him, "Toji and Kensuke are already up and headed to the command center. You should do the same." Before waiting for a reply, the Fifth Child rushes out of the room, leaving Sarah alone inside it.

"You're in good humor, Patrick." Sarah mutters to herself before standing up, grateful she was still dressed from earlier when Patrick visited her then. "Alright, I'll go since you insisted…" she sighs, shaking her head. Patrick always acted so serious when a situation popped up rather than his normal self…but then, he always took life in stride before the accident. 'No, it was sabotage.' Sarah corrected herself as she walked out of her room and towards the Nerv Command Center.

As she walks down the hallway, she remembered that Misato said something about two S2 Engines arriving early and being installed or something this morning after the children not in the hospital went to school. 'I heard we're getting a new pilot soon, as well as Eva Unit 07…I wonder who the pilot will be.'

* * *

Five minutes later, Misato rushes into the main commander center with the three original pilots' right behind her. When she tried to check to see if Patrick was home, Serena just told her he forgot something at Nerv and walked back there. Asuka was happy, mainly because Misato couldn't come up with an excuse to make them sit together again. As they four of them use the side elevator to reach the upper level, the entire room shook from a shockwave. "What the hell?" Misato demanded, the elevator reaching the upper level.

"The target just fired its particle beam cannon directly at us!" Hyuga shouts, "Unit 04 was barely able to block the attack!"

Ritsuko turns around sharply. "Pilots, get suited up and to your Eva's immediately. We'll explain what's going on later." All three of the Pilots heard the seriousness of her voice and immediately rushed out of the room. Toji and Kensuke both sigh, occasionally wincing in pain from their injuries. Ritsuko turns two the two injured pilots. "You two should be in bed like Sarah is right now."

Sarah bursts through the door on the other side of the platform that had Misato and Ritsuko on it just as the latter finished her statement. "Sorry…I'm late…" she breathed out, exhausted from running into the room after the shockwave of the first attack.

"…Why do I even bother…?" Ritsuko muttered, knowing that the situation was too important to try wasting her time to convince the injured pilots to rest. "Okay, I'll give you the entire situation, Misato." Ritsuko began, looking at the main viewer. "About twelve minutes ago, we detected a Crimson Waveform pattern appeared in high orbit above the Pacific Ocean. After three and a half minutes, it came into range of a U.N. battleship containing three N2 Warheads. We gave the order and all three of them were fired at the target."

"You said on the phone that the missiles were blocked by some energy shield." Misato points out.

Ritsuko nods to Maya, the screen changing from an image of the air over Tokyo 3 to a picture feed from a spy satellite. The main viewer shows a large glowing white orb and three rings of white light constantly encircling it at different angles with the orb as its central point of rotation. Each ring had a different size and multiple indentations in each of them, its appearance resembling a large gyroscope.

Suddenly an image of three missiles zooming at it appears before the rings stop encircling the orb and shift, in order, from the largest ring being closest to the missiles and the smallest ring behind the orb, with the middle sized one around the orb itself. Streams of pure light fire out of the smallest one's indentations and into the middle one's, which fires at the largest of the ring's indents, causing it to project a massive half-sphere energy shield in front of it; blocking the missiles.

The gyroscope-looking Crimson Angel then lowers the shield, the rings encircling its core for a few seconds before shifting the rings into an opposite formation with the smallest in front and the largest in back. Like earlier, streams of energy fire out of one of the rings, but this time, from the largest ring to the smallest ring instead. The instant the energy transfers to the small ring, an energy blast is fired out and hits the Earth. Ritsuko changes the screen to a picture of the U.N. ship that fired the missiles was hit by the energy blast, five meters in diameters, and blew up the instant after it was hit.

In both cases, the glowing white orb fired a beam of pure energy directly at the center of the ring in front of it.

"As you can see, it's almost like Ramiel. Absolute defense and attack." Ritsuko states bleakly. "We've gathered that when the rings go into a certain order, it produces either an energy shield or its particle beam cannon."

"You said it shot at Old Tokyo, right?"

"That's right, Misato." Ritsuko pulls up an image of a large crater completely filled up by water. "It fired that attack just before I called you."

"Has it even used its AT Field at ALL?" Misato demanded.

"Actually it has. Its AT Field controls the rings' rotation and movement, as well as provides energy for its attacks…we think." Ritsuko admits, causing Misato to scowl. "We aren't certain, but with the information gathered, the Magi theorize that the target is using its AT Field to gather solar radiation to power its attacks. In the regard, it acts like a reactor, with its S2 Core in the center of that orb."

Before Misato could reply, another shockwave shook through the room, nearly causing Misato to fall. "What the hell was that?"

"Major, the enemy has fired another particle beam at Unit 04." Hyuga shouted, "The pilot's sync is barely high enough to even move at this point, let alone defend against another attack!"

"Doctor Akagi, all three Pilots are ready for launch." Maya reported. "The S2 Engines recently installed in Units 00 and 02 are also fully operational."

"Launch the Evas immediately!" she orders, letting Misato give them a brief description of the situation.

* * *

Patrick lowered his Eva's staff, falling to his knees and breathing heavily. 'I can't see straight anymore…and my vision is blurry…' His thoughts trail off before focusing on his Eva's AT Field, remembering the pattern the target's attacks follow. 'Every attack comes after a three minute pause…it must be charging energy for every attack.' Out of the corner of his vision, he notices Eva 00 approaching.

"You may withdraw, Fifth Child." Rei states calmly, opening communications with his Eva. "Your sync ratio at this moment is critically low. Therefore, you would only be a hindrance to us at this point."

Patrick glares at Rei, barely able to focus himself at the moment before sighing. "…Right…" he mutters, struggling to walk to the nearby Eva elevator and going back down to the Geofront.

* * *

"Unit 04 was withdrawn from the battle." Maya reports, "The pilot has fallen unconscious but his vital signs are stable."

"Good." Ritsuko replies before turning to Misato, a smug look on her face. "So, Major Katsuragi, do you have a plan on how to defeat an enemy still in orbit?"

"Yeah, I do." Misato replies calmly before glancing at Hyuga. "Send up one of the Lance copies."

Ritsuko frowns and glances at Commander Ikari, who does nothing to contradict the Major's orders. "Very well…" she sighs, walking over to Maya to check how the other pilots are doing. "What's the status of the pilots so far, Maya?"

"They are doing extraordinary." Maya replies softly, letting Ritsuko see their sync scores. "Rei is at 82, Shinji is at 92, and Asuka is at 96."

Ritsuko's eyes widen, "These scores are amazing…wait, and Shinji's score just went up to 93."

"Yes, Doctor Akagi." Maya replies with a frown. "Shinji's synchronization has been steadily increasing since he was launched. He was 85 at first, but now it's at 93."

"Keep an eye on him." Ritsuko orders softly, which Maya just nods to.

* * *

A copy of the Lance of Longinous comes up next to Rei's Eva, not even put in the sealing unit like last time. Unit 00 grabs the Lance and gets into throwing position, waiting for the Magi to make the necessary calculations. Suddenly a bright light appears in the sky and gets steadily brighter and larger as it quickly approaches Unit 00 from a 60 degree angle in the air. Units 01 and 02 get in front of Unit 00 and project their AT Fields, blocking the targets particle beam weapon.

"Rei…hurry up already." Asuka demanded, focusing on her AT Field's projection, which is slowly becoming less stressful to deal with. Suddenly, it seems almost easy. "Huh?"

"Shinji's sync is tied with yours, Asuka." Misato comments, opening communications with Unit 02. "It should be easier now to block that attack."

"Great…wait, what's our score?" Asuka asked curiously.

"96." Misato replies smugly.

Asuka took a moment to process that, as the enemy's particle beam cannon stopped firing. "Alright! Beat that score, Ayanami!" Asuka cheered, ignoring the fact Shinji's score was equal to her own.

Rei heard that comment and actually chuckled softly as the calculations for throwing the Lance copy finished. She braces herself, pulling her arms back and firing the Lance straight at the orbital target. The two prongs at its tips merge into a single point, similar to the original Lance, as it leaves orbit and heads straight at the 7th Crimson Angel. The Crimson Angel quickly shifts its rings into a defensive formation and generates an energy shield. However, the shield is easily broken through and, before the target could even project any kind of AT Field, it pierces its main body and barrels straight through him. After it pierces through the target, it slows down slightly before stopping completely in space.

* * *

"Target has ceased activity. AT Field no longer detected from the target." Hyuga reports, breathing a sigh of relief. Most of the tension in the air vanishes, but Sarah's eyes just narrow, looking at a visual of the target in orbit before walking over to Misato.

"…Misato, it's still alive." Sarah mutters softly to Misato. "I feel something strange about it though."

Misato blinks, remembering the comment she made about Asuka the first day she was here, even though she knew nothing about the Second's past. "…What do you mean? I didn't think your 'intuition' extended to the Crimson Angels."

"I didn't know that either…but in the back of my head, I've…felt a consciousness behind them…a human one." Sarah continues softly. Misato looks sharply at her at that comment. "Remember that…plant thing?" her voice was filled with disgust. "Well, that feeling of consciousness became stronger when that face appeared on it."

Misato sighs, staring at the visual of the target. "What did you mean by 'something strange', Sarah?" she asks calmly.

Sarah frowns, "It almost feels like…another consciousness is trying to take over or override the first one…"

* * *

"Why is it just sitting there?" Chivalt demanded, glaring at the hologram of Radmiir with disgust. "The attack missed his S2 Core!"

Varian frowns, looking around the large room they are in. The walls of the room are covered completely in a variety of machines, wires, and computer screens. In the center of the room is a circular table with a large hologram projector in the center of it. Besides Lord Varian and Chivalt is Shalock. "It missed his S2 Core, but it hit his eyesight sensor input section of his mind. Meaning…he's fighting blind out there."

Chivalt growls, but before he can respond, Shalock replies. "Lord Varian…is that science project of mine still around somewhere?" he asks curiously.

Varian becomes silent before chuckling. "Good idea, Shalock." He raises his hand, causing a section of ceiling to open up and a crane-like device to lower a large helmet down. The helmet has various wires and buttons on it. "Yes…it will still work, even after all these years."

Chivalt looks at the helmet before glancing at Shalock, who just takes the helmet. "What is that helmet even for?"

"Simple. It's a neural interface." Varian replies for Shalock, who pulls his hood down and places the helmet on his head, the darkness in the room making it impossible to see his facial features. "Shalock created in order to manipulate and control another's body by suppressing their consciousness and replacing it with his own." He smiles faintly, "I've used it a few times myself."

"Wait, why not just use it to take over the Third Child?" Chivalt demanded.

Varian sighs, shaking his head. "There are a number of reasons, the main one being is that it likely wouldn't work on an Eva Pilot, and even if it did, the possessed pilot would be unable to synchronize with Eva at all."

"Can you two keep it down?" Shalock asks calmly, closing his eyes slowly. The helmet's visor suddenly comes down in front of him. "…This damage done is easily fixable, so it's time to have some fun with the pilots."

* * *

Alarms started sounding in the command center, causing the faded tension in the air to return. "What's going on?" Ritsuko demanded.

"The target has reactivated!" Hyuga shouts, "Its waveform pattern has shifted slightly, now similar to the waveform pattern that human-form Crimson Angels possess!"

Misato sighs, "You were right it seems…" she mutters to Sarah before turning to Hyuga. "Send up another Lance copy. This time, we'll have to get it right."

"He won't fall for the same trick twice." Sarah mutters, which Kensuke overhears.

"Yeah, but isn't those Lance things the only weapon that will work?" Kensuke asked. "It would take too long to target the enemy in orbit with the positron rifle…I think."

"Sir! The target has moved its rings into a new position!" Aoba reports, watching as the middle ring is now in front while the smaller ring surrounds the core with the larger ring behind.

* * *

'This is still awkward, controlling other creatures, but still just as fun.' Shalock thinks to himself, his eyes opening to reveal he is looking down at the Earth. 'Nothing new about the planet…except the water is higher than before.' He shrugs to himself, focusing his power on moving the rings.

Back with the pilots, the second Lance copy reaches the surface next to Unit 00. The Magi briefly adjust the calculations made earlier so the Lance with hit with 100% accuracy this time. Rei throws the Lance, the prongs merging into a single tip like before. "Oh please, I'm not an idiot like Radmiir." Shalock mutters to himself as the Lance exits the Earth's atmosphere and heads straight for Radmiir. He begins channeling a massive amount of energy from the large ring into the small ring before transferring that energy into the middle-sized ring, Radmiir's core glowing brightly.

A huge energy blast is fired from the ring straight at the approaching Lance. At first, the Lance slowly pierces through the attack, but soon is vaporized by the attack. "Your Lance copy can't even compare to the Original, so quit trying." Shalock taunts, even though he knows Nerv and the Pilots can't even hear him.

* * *

"…The target destroyed the Lance copy…" Hyuga reports hesitantly, the whole room nervous at this revelation. If the Lance copy wouldn't work again, how would they defeat this enemy?

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Toji asks bluntly.

Kensuke frowns, "No…we still have a chance, but it won't be from the Lance." Toji looks at Kensuke with a confused expression. "Shinji or Asuka…at a high sync, they get those AT Field wings right? They could fly right up to it and kill it directly."

Misato overheard this but decided not to comment. 'We don't even know how they get that high of a sync level…' she thinks to herself. 'So…how could they reach it when no one knows how to?'

* * *

Asuka frowned; smart enough to realize the situation they were in. They couldn't use the Lance copy, they couldn't set up the positron sniper rifle in time and, even if they did, it likely wouldn't have enough power to pierce the enemy's AT Field. She opens a nearby weapons cache and pulls out a Heavy Prog. Sword, having the same thought as Kensuke (and what a scary thought THAT is). Asuka sighs, remembering the brief conversation she had with her mother before reaching 400 synchronization.

'I'm so proud of you Asuka.' Asuka's mothers voice states softly to Unit 02's pilot.

'…Mama?' Asuka asks hesitantly. She waits a moment before continuing. 'Why are you proud of me? The way I've treated my friends…I don't really deserve your praise.'

An image of Asuka's mother appears in the entry plug in front of Asuka, smiling fondly. 'I know dearest, but you underestimate yourself. You've learned to change and become the kind person you were when I still had a body…and you've learned to love and care for another person.'

Asuka doesn't even bother denying it, seeing as her mother was able to look into her own heart while synchronized. 'Yes…but he doesn't deserve someone like me…' she sighs. 'But…I don't care. I want to defeat this bastard for causing all this sadness and suffering on both him and myself…please help me.'

Asuka's mother warmly embraces Asuka. 'I will, Asuka. Let go of your restraint on your emotions and trust me.'

Asuka was shocked at his mother's embrace, more so because she could physically feel it. '…Okay, mama. I trust you.' After those words, she felt very weak for a moment before feeling very powerful, AT Field wings growing out of her Eva's back.

She shakes her head, deciding to focus on the situation at hand rather than what happened three days ago. Though…how could they win? "Mama, are you there?" Only silence greeted her. '…Do you believe in me to win without your help?' she asks, and feels like her mother answered with a 'Yes.' After that feeling of her mother's answer, she briefly remembered Kaworu telling her something about Eva…opening your heart to it in order to synchronize. 'Well, it's worth a try…'

Meanwhile, Shinji looks up at the sky, gripping his controls tightly. He remembers the moments his Eva woke up to defend him, realizing why just before Third Impact. His mother's soul was inside Eva, seeking to protect her son from harm. "Mother…can you help me?" he asks hesitantly, afraid that she might not reply.

"Of course darling…but you don't need my help." Yui Ikari's voice echoes through his entry plug. "Your desire to protect Asuka from SEELE's Eva Series awoke the first level of the Eva's full potential, which is something you can do on your own."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asks, slightly confused. He didn't remember the exact details of what happened.

"The Evangelions are a powerful creation to humanity…but much of that power is sealed in order to control it." Yui continues, "However, as much as I would like to explain this right now, we don't have the time. Just remember the exact moment you reached 300 synchronization…"

"Okay, mother." Shinji replies softly, trying to remember his exact feeling in that moment. He remembered his desperation and fear about Asuka's safety…and his strong desire to protect her no matter what, even if he died trying.

"I will protect her…no matter what the cost." Shinji whispers, repeating the words he remembering himself saying to himself before shouting that he wouldn't let her die.

In that same moment, Asuka also looks at the sky, fully opening herself up to Eva Unit 02. "I will protect my friends…and Shinji, no matter what happens to me."

* * *

Maya gasps, hardly believing her eyes right now. Ritsuko's eyes widen as well, looking at the scores Shinji and Asuka have before getting a visual of the two Evas they pilot. "Doctor Akagi!" Maya quickly reports, so startled that she forgets Ritsuko is standing next to her and can see the sync scores. "Shinji and Asuka have both reached a sync ratio of 300!"

"Impossible!" Misato replied, shocked as she watches two diamond-shaped AT Field wings form on both Unit 01's and Unit 02's back, surrounded by a faint orange-colored aura.

Commander Ikari leaned forward, looking intently at the visual of the two Eva Units. Fuyutsuki just stares in amazement at the Evas before leaning towards Ikari. "Was this expected?"

"No…it wasn't." Ikari replies calmly, "However, the possibility of this occurring existed."

Sarah was speechless, but Toji and Kensuke got over their shock quickly and started cheering for Shinji and, surprisingly, Asuka as well.

* * *

"Let's go, Shinji." Asuka says over the intercom, somehow feeling that Shinji was still the same sync as her and, therefore, able to use his AT Field wings as well.

"Right." Shinji replies, focusing his Eva's AT Field around its body for jumping into the air, flying straight up towards the target. Surprisingly, Asuka does the very same thing at the same time Shinji does.

Asuka smiles, remembering the training they had to do to fight effectively against the seventh Angel, Israfel, and realizing that the synchronization in their movements and actions was because of that training so long ago.

Shalock watched with amazement as the two Evas exited the atmosphere and began heading straight towards Radmiir. 'Shit!' He quickly rearranges the rings so the largest and smallest rings switched places. In possession of Radmiir, he charges energy from the smallest ring, now behind him, into the largest ring that encircles its core before firing energy into the middle-sized ring in front. This action allowed him to fire a barrage of small, but powerful, particle beam blasts at the approaching Evas.

Both pilots just smile, their Evas effortlessly dodging the blasts with the same level of speed Rei had when fighting against Gormarc. Shalock begins getting afraid at this point, shifting the rings into a defensive position as both Evas are right on top of him. Asuka focuses her AT Field into her Heavy Prog Sword before slamming the blade straight at him.

Shalock quickly raises both the energy shield Radmiir possesses and Radmiir's AT Field, blocking the attack. The impact caused a shockwave of energy to fire out between them, both AT Fields visible. At this point, his voice is heard clearly in the Pilot's entry plugs. "Heh…nice try kids, but that won't work on-" It was then he realized that Unit 01 had disappeared.

"You're an idiot." Asuka taunts, "Did you really think we'd both attack you like that?" Shalock quickly turns his attention to what's behind him. His face becomes fearful at the sight of Unit 01 flying straight at him with the Lance copy that pierced Radmiir earlier in his hands.

"FUCK!" Shalock roars, shifting Radmiir's AT Field behind him, but it was too late. The Lance pierced right through his hastily made AT Field like a knife through hot butter and shattered his S2 Core. Radmiir screeched a horrid human-like wail before exploding with the force of an N2 Mine. Everyone in Nerv became afraid at that point before seeing the both Evas were undamaged. Sadly, however, the Lance copy Shinji used and the Heavy Prog Sword that Asuka used were both vaporized.

* * *

Shalock quickly disconnects the neural connections with Radmiir before throwing the helmet off. After a few second, the helmet emits electricity before exploding. The young boy's eyes were filled with anger and, surprisingly, a hint of fear. "You underestimated them again." Varian notes calmly, sipping on a glass of wine and watching a hologram of the Evas, which are working together to shield their bodies from the heat of re-entry with their AT Fields as they return to Tokyo-3. "Worse yet, they've learned how to reach 300 sync consciously."

Chivalt glares at the boy. "You screwed up, Shalock, and you've lost you favorite toy as a result."

"…Don't try to taunt me, Chivalt." Shalock growls, pulling his hood back of his head. He slowly walks into the radius of dim light created by the hologram. By this time, both Evas have reached the ground outside Tokyo-3 and deactivate. "How…" he growls, "Can they just gain this kind of power just when they need it?"

"That's just one of life's mysteries, Shalock." Varian replies, shutting the hologram projector off just as Unit 00 reaches the Evas and begins carrying them to the launch shafts. "Now, Unit 07 is due to arrive in Japan, as well as the remaining S2 Engines, in about two weeks."

Chivalt clenches his sword hilt tightly, "Lord Varian, we've nearly lost two-thirds of our forces. We should send more servants down immediately. Unit 01 is in no condition to resist."

"No, Chivalt. We'll continue with the plan normally." Varian replies, "I want to gauge the strength of the Eighth Child and the full extent of the first three children."

Varian stands up before making a portal of darkness in front of him. "Where are you going?" Chivalt demanded.

"To retrieve the shard of the resurrection stone." He walks through the portal, which vanishes just after he walks through it.

* * *

Lord Varian sighs, slowly floating towards the debris left behind from the battle. 'Two Lance copies down, one to go.' He notes, stopping in the void of space with a small red shard floating in front of him. 'Ah, here it is.'

"You underestimate the Lilim, Varian." A calm voice echoes throughout the area, causing Varian to flinch.

"…You're still alive?" He demanded angrily, looking around sharply.

"Not quite. My spirit remains here in order to convey a message to you." A boy of fifteen year appears five meters in front of Varian. The most notable features about him were his red eyes and white hair.

"…Tabris…" Lord Varian growls, quickly snatching the shard from the air in front of him before floating back a few meters. "What do you want here?"

"Like I said earlier, He allowed my spirit to pass the gates in order to give you a message." Tabris states calmly. If anyone from Nerv saw him, they'd recognize him as Kaworu Nagisa, the 17th Angel. "My message is short and to the point. Want to hear it?"

"…You'll say it anyways, Angel." Lord Varian growls, an aura of bloodlust around his body.

"No need to get violent…not that it would do any good against me, anyways." Kaworu replies calmly. "'Your final judgment will soon be at hand. Your plan will never succeed. Your Master will never be free to ravage the world again.'"

Lord Varian glares at Tabris. "Were those words straight from Him?"

"Oh, yes." The final messenger replies brightly. "I'd have to agree with Him, too. Your continuous underestimation of the true power of the Evas and their Pilots will be your downfall." He bows slightly, "If you'll excuse me, 'Lord' Varian, I have another message to deliver to someone else." He vanishes into thin air.

The aura around Varian vanishes the moment Kaworu disappears. "…You have too much faith in humanity, Tabris, as much that He does." Varian mutters darkly. "Neither of you can interfere directly in this world anymore, Tabris. Faith in humanity is the only hope this world has, but faith alone won't give them victory."

* * *

Shinji wakes up in a plain white world, nothing in it but himself and a strange cloaked figure. This cloaked figure is wearing a white cloak in contrast to the other cloaked figures he's seen. The minute Shinji sees him, he flinches, getting into a defensive stance, but the figure makes no movement in response. Slowly, Shinji drops his guard, seeing the figure has no malevolent intent. "Who are you?" Shinji finally gets the courage to ask.

The cloaked figure smiles. "A friend…" The voice seemed familiar to Shinji, but he couldn't place where he heard it before. "Don't dwell on who I am, Shinji. There are more important things to discuss right now."

"What do you mean? Where are we?" Shinji asks, looking around at the emptiness surrounding him. The last thing he remembered was reaching the ground outside Tokyo-3 after fighting the 7th Crimson Angel before falling unconscious.

"You are in the Nerv hospital. You seem to end up there quite often these days." He notes; a hint of amusement in his voice. "You know the truth about the foe you are facing so I'll be brief here. As you are now, there is no hope for victory."

Shinji remains silent before responding. "Are you talking about my synchronization with Eva?"

"That's part of the reason." The white cloaked figure admits, "You've been fighting quite well against the Crimson Angels, but the human-formed ones are in a whole other level of strength. One of them took control of Radmiir, the one you just fought, after the first Lance copy hit him." His lips form a slight frown. "Only using Radmiir's body and AT Field, he fought with the full power and abilities Radmiir possessed. In effect, you indirectly fought one of the human-form Crimson Angels. Directly, you've also fought one just after the 3rd Crimson Angel died, and you didn't even stand a chance."

"Then how can I beat them?" Shinji demanded, reminded quite clearly of the black cloaked figure silencing the 3rd with a Lance copy made by SEELE.

"Simple. Reaching the best synchronization level you can possess with Eva Unit 01 would make you a match for one of the weakest of the human-form Crimson Angels." The figure pauses. "This is not to say that some of them are far stronger, but three of them are weaker than the other two. The cloaked figure you briefly fought with was the strongest of them."

"The Crimson Angels…do they really have the original Lance of Longinous?" Shinji asks, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, they have the Lance of Longinous that belonged to the being 'Adam.'" He replies calmly, "However, the Lance of Longinous that belonged to 'Lilith' is out of their reach."

"Wasn't that destroyed in First Impact?" Shinji asks, not noticing the figure flinch at the statement. "I heard that from Misato…how the Angels were the first beings on this planet but then a 'seed of life' for the 'Lilim', humanity, came to this world. Due to the impact, Lilith Lance of Longinous was lost and part of the Earth broke off to form the Moon."

The cloaked figure was deathly quiet for a minute, much to the concern of Shinji. "I see…you know all about that." He replies softly, a hint of sadness in his voice as if he is remembering a tragic event. "Good…I won't have to explain that topic yet…not until it is necessary for you to know about the origin of the Crimson Angels and why the second seed of life impacted the Earth."

"Wait, I want to know about that now though!" Shinji shouted, "Misato said they wanted to free their Master and they needed Eva Unit 01 to do it!" the figure flinches again, "I deserve to know the truth after all of the fighting I've done!"

"…Yes, Shinji. You do deserve the truth, but not until the last of the demon-form Crimson Angels fall. Trust me, I will tell you the entire truth soon enough…" The young man smiles, slowly vanishing. "Give my regards to the First." He added before disappearing completely.

* * *

Shinji slowly opens his eyes, glancing around the room and noticing Misato just now leaving. "Misato…" he manages to say weakly, causing her to turn sharply back to the bed and rush to the side of it.

"Shinji?" Misato was startled, "Ritsuko said you'd take at least a day before you woke up but…it's only been a few hours."

"Where's…Asuka?" the boy asks softly, worried about the Second Child.

Misato blinks. "Still asleep in the next room over. Right now, you should be resting though…even if you're conscious, your body would still be exhausted from a sync ratio of 300."

Shinji just nods, closing his eyes slightly. Misato stands up and walks out of the room, planning to check up on Asuka now. Just as she is about to close the door, Rei walks into the room. Misato blinks, wondering why she didn't notice her sooner but shrugs, closing the door.

"Hello, Shinji Ikari." Rei states calmly, glancing at the Third Child before walking over to his bed and sitting in the chair next to it. "How are you feeling right now?"

"Well, I've felt better…" Shinji mutters, "What happened after we killed the 7th Crimson Angel?"

"You and Asuka returned to the outside of Tokyo-3 before your Evas deactivated. I retrieved both you and your Eva and returned them to Nerv. Commander Ikari has ordered that the only remaining Lance of Longinous copy we possess is to be stored until he permits that the situation is dire enough for the use of it." Rei explains calmly before standing back up and walking towards the door.

"Rei…I had a strange dream just before waking up." Shinji admits in a soft voice, causing the First Child to stop walking. "He said a lot of things about the Crimson Angels…saying he'll tell me the truth about their origin and the reason that First Impact occurred eventually."

Rei turns around to face Shinji, a slight frown on her lips. "I see. If that is all, Shinji, I must leave to check up on the other pilots."

Just as Rei reaches the door and opens it, Shinji continues. "One last thing…He said to give the First my regards…I'm guessing that's you but I have no idea who he was. All I remember about him is his voice and a white cloak. Do you know who it is?"

Rei smiles slightly, walking out of the room and turning to face Shinji. "Yes, and you know him as well. He was the only True Angel, one that possessed a human form." Shinji's eyes widen, "Yes, it was Tabris or, as you know him, Kaworu Nagisa."

* * *

A/N: Yes, I've decided to include Kaworu in this story, but his role will be minor because he's…well, he's DEAD. His spirit still remains but it doesn't mean he's a free agent now. If you've forgotten about Sarah's 'intuition,' then check chapter 3. I haven't made a big deal of it, more focused on OTHER, more important, events at the time. Anyways, see you next time!

A/A/N: Yes, I know the whole part with Asuka and Shinji reaching 300 sync could have been better, but I'm not a perfectionist.

Read and Review


	21. The Eighth Child

A/N: Well, I've stalled the acquisition of Unit 07 long enough. If I remember correctly, I've already told one of my reviewers who the Eighth Child will be, but for the rest of you readers, it will be quite a surprise. Or maybe it won't be. Oh wait, I forgot one interesting fact. Chapter 20 is longest chapter in word count so far. Anyways, feel free to start reading the story now.

A/A/N: I'm doing a time skip because it's more convenient right now. Also, due to approaching the midpoint of my story, I'm trying to fit in up to the 9th Crimson Angel before/during chapter 25. This is why there has been a lack of chapters involving the pilots' daily lives.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Anime/Manga/Movies this story is based on.

* * *

"So, we'll be getting the rest of the S2 Engines tomorrow, along with Eva Unit 07?" Misato asks Ritsuko calmly, watching the simulation battle between Unit 03 and Unit 05.

Ritsuko nods, "Yes, instead of shipping the S2 Engines for Units 03 and 05 ahead of the ones for Units 06 and 07, they decided to wait until everything was done and ship it all at once."

"I guess they just want to save money by doing this." Misato sighs, "Ritsuko, the enemy has been awfully quiet so far. No attacks on us or anything."

"Yes…maybe they are on vacation?" Ritsuko chuckled, watching Kensuke's Eva get hit by a rocket from Toji's rocket launcher his Eva was carrying. "Though, it's possible I guess."

"If they had sent another Crimson Angel at us after the 7th, we might not be here." Misato points out. "Are they just toying with us?"

Ritsuko shrugs, watching Kensuke wincing as he gets out of the simulator and walking over to Toji. "They probably are just toying with us. To them, we aren't even a threat. You saw for yourself how powerful the 17th Crimson Angel was…"

"…They could easily take out Nerv without breaking a sweat." Misato replies bleakly, noting that Kensuke is shaking Toji's hand even though he lost. "Ritsuko, do any idea why the weather has been acting strange lately?"

"Not really." Ritsuko admits with a frown. "I'm guessing the weather will be unstable until the planet gets used to the continent of Antarctica being back."

"Ritsuko, it's almost summertime and the weather is in the 50s." Misato points out. "Don't the Magi have any idea why?"

"That IS what the Magi guessed as well." Ritsuko replies firmly.

Misato just shrugs, "So, how are the Pilots' scores?"

Maya smiles, "Look for yourself, Major, they are getting a lot better at this after all the training they've been doing." Misato and Ritsuko both walk over, grateful that they now had four simulator pods now rather than two. The first thing they did before beginning the fights was check everyone's scores. Fuyutsuki walks down from the upper level of the secondary command center and checks the scores as well.

Rei: 85

Asuka: 92

Shinji: 95

Toji: 79

Patrick: 76

Kensuke: 78

Sarah: 72

"The first three children have the highest…and the rest of them are over a score of 70." Fuyutsuki notes, "These kids are amazing…"

Misato nodded, "I know." She hesitates, "By the way, who's the Eighth Child, Ritsuko?"

Doctor Akagi smiles, "You'll find out tomorrow when the Eva arrives." She notices Misato's expression and continues. "The pilot was selected from the candidates at the school."

"…I'm not surprised." Misato mutters, watching as Shinji and Asuka enter the simulation pods and activate the battle simulator. "Ritsuko, is it a good idea to just let those two fight each other after what happened last time?"

"I put a system in place to prevent another accident like before. Besides…" Ritsuko added, "Their rivalry will fuel their desire to surpass the other one, increasing both of their sync ratios."

* * *

Sarah vs. Patrick, Location – Geofront (Simulation).

Sarah winces slightly, glaring at Unit 04 as she raised her Eva's Prog Spear, keeping a close eye on Unit 04's staff. "Why are you on the defensive? This is a battle, Patrick, and I want you to fight me seriously!"

Patrick sighs, "I don't need to in order to win. I'd prefer not hurting you, even if the pain isn't real." Unit 04 dashes forward, ducking under Sarah's spear slash. Unfortunately, Patrick was caught off-guard by the kick to his Eva's face, sending him five meters to Sarah's right. Sarah follows up by slashing in an upward-left direction, which was barely deflected by Patrick in time. "…I underestimated you because of the amount of damage you've taken these past few fights against the Crimson Angels, but alright. I'll fight you seriously."

Asuka vs. Shinji, Location – Tokyo-03 (Simulation).

Meanwhile, Asuka smirks, grabbing a Heavy Prog Sword from the weapons cache next to her before dashing at Unit 01. Unit 01 quickly grabs a Prog Sword from the weapons cache next to him, blocking the incoming slash from Asuka. Normally, a heavier sword would be able to overpower the lighter blade, but Shinji's higher sync gave his Eva the strength to match Asuka's power. The force of the clashing blades causes the glass in the nearby buildings to shatter. "Last time the match ended in a tie. This time, I'll be victorious!"

"No, you won't Asuka." Shinji says, smiling. He slashes his sword down at Unit 02, but Asuka slashes her heavier sword at the incoming blade, deflecting it into a skyscraper. She follows up with a kick, causing Shinji to be knocked back and loses his grip on the Prog Sword, dropping it. Asuka smirks, swinging her Heavy Prog Sword at the now open Unit 01's chest area. Without wasting a movement, Shinji opens his Eva's shoulder holster, jumping upwards and pulling his Prog Knife out. He swings it down at Asuka's blade, deflecting it downward and into the ground where his feet just were. The impact created a moderate sized crater and shook the nearby buildings.

"Wow…" Asuka mutters softly to herself, surprised that a Prog Knife could deflect her sword like that. Shinji took advantage of that opening, his jump allowing him to fall down behind Asuka. He kicks her in the back with both feet, barely having enough time to get into a half kneeling position to avoid falling on his face.

"Heh, match that Asuka." Shinji replies calmly, a smile on his face as his Eva rises to its' feet. What he didn't expect was Asuka's laughter over the intercom before getting Unit 02's Prog Knife pierced into his left shoulder. "Ow…" he pulls the knife out, turning around sharply to face Unit 02. "How did you-"

"You let your guard down." Asuka smirks, half crouched on the ground 25 meters away with her shoulder holster open.

* * *

"Can you replay that, Maya?" Ritsuko asks with a surprised expression.

"Yes sir." Maya replays what happened just before Unit 02 was kicked by Shinji. Asuka was shocked enough not to be able to avoid the attack, but at the last second she turned slightly, causing her to fly backwards at an angle. Sadly, she lost her Heavy Prog Sword doing this. This allowed her Eva to continue turning, facing Shinji's back as Asuka draws her Prog Knife from her Eva's shoulder holster and, after a split second hesitation, throws it at Shinji's left shoulder. It pierces Shinji the moment after Asuka lands on the ground, using her feet to slow her momentum enough to stop.

"…And her sync jumped to 97 just before she was kicked but lowered back to 92 after throwing the Prog Knife." Misato notes, "Shinji better watch out for her."

"Uh oh." Hyuga mutters, watching Patrick sync shoot up from 76 to 100. "The Fifth Child activated his Limiter Release on his Eva Unit."

"He shouldn't be doing something that crazy while just training." Ritsuko mutters.

Misato glares at Ritsuko, "Then why was it added in?"

"It was already programmed in and I couldn't undo it unless I wanted to add another three weeks worth of work on top of the time it took to finish it." Ritsuko explains.

* * *

Sarah vs. Patrick, Location – Geofront (Simulation).

Patrick stands up, his seat and controls retracting back towards the rear of the Entry Plug, the Fifth Child standing on the platform the seat and controls were just on and closing his eyes. The platform begins glowing faintly, his Eva's AT Field channeling into its' armor, now shifting from a silvery color to a golden one. Patrick opens his eyes slowly, his sight now completely connected with his Eva's. "Okay, Sarah…Get ready."

The Seventh Child started to regret her words at this point. She wanted her boyfriend to get serious, not going after her at full power. 'Oh well, I dug my own grave there…but I won't go down easily.' Suddenly, Unit 04 dashes straight at Unit 06. Sarah has only seconds to react, jumping to the side and swiping her spear to the right where she was just standing. Unit 04 swings his staff at Unit 06's spear, easily deflecting it and causing it to go flying out of Sarah's grip. Before he could attack again, Sarah quickly drew her Prog Knife from her Eva's shoulder holster, barely blocking the second attack.

However, despite blocking the attack, the force of the strike blasted Sarah and her Eva back over 15 meters. "I told you I wouldn't hold back." Patrick reminds Sarah calmly, spinning his staff with one hand before slamming it into the ground, the force causing the ground to crack. "Do you surrender, love?"

Sarah was taken aback by her boyfriend calling her that for the first time, more so because it was during a battle simulation. She smiles, grabbing her controls tightly. "I won't surrender just because you try to sweet talk me. You're going down!" Unit 06 charges recklessly at Unit 04, throwing her Prog Knife at him. Unit 04 easily deflects it and swings his staff down at Sarah, but she isn't there anymore.

"…Crap." Patrick feels the full force of the kick against his Eva's back. Unit 04 lands face first onto the ground as Patrick clutches his own face painfully. 'Commander Samantha was right about this Limiter Removal being a double edged sword.' He thinks softly to himself, struggling to his feet. 'But…that can easily be fixed by activating the Lightbringer program.' He closes his eyes, focusing his AT Field around his body before stopping; his expression aspirated "You have got to be kidding me…Ritsuko!"

* * *

"Yes, I've disabled your 'Lightbringer' program." Ritsuko replies calmly. "I could easily leave that out of the simulator program due to it being an add-on rather than hardcoded into the simulator."

"WHY did you leave it out?" Patrick demanded with a voice filled with annoyance.

"This is practice, not an actual battle." Ritsuko points out firmly, "Until you can even use your own AT Field without collapsing, I won't let you use the 'Lightbringer' program." She glares at the Fifth Child, ignoring the shocked looks of the personnel there, most not even aware someone other than Rei or Shinji could use an AT Field. "Besides, I didn't want you using the Eva Limiter Removal either, but I couldn't take that out of the simulator and still have it work without adding three straight weeks of work. Deactivate it, Fifth Child."

Patrick mutters something before replying. "Fine…" he sighs, regretfully deactivating his Eva's L.R. Program, the seat and controls moving back to their normal position.

* * *

Asuka vs. Shinji, Location – Tokyo-03 (Simulation).

Unit 01 pulls the Prog Knife impaled in its shoulder and stabs it into the ground before charging at Asuka. She just smirks, focusing her Eva's AT Field into her Eva's right hand. Just as Shinji slashes horizontally at Asuka with his Prog Knife, she ducks under it quickly and punches Unit 01 square in the chest with his right hand. The force of the attack blasts Shinji back about 15 meters, causing him to lose his grip on the Prog Knife. "What the-"

"You're wide open, Shinji!" Asuka shouts, already 5 meters away from him and another AT Field-charged punch barreling towards the Third Child. He projects his Eva's AT Field, blocking the punch for a few seconds before it pierces through. During those seconds, Shinji jumps back and focuses his Eva's AT Field into its right hand, copying Asuka's move.

* * *

"Wow…both Shinji and Asuka are at a sync of 100." Maya states in a soft voice, frowning slightly.

"How did Asuka close the distance between her and Shinji so quickly?" Misato asks curiously.

"Simple. Asuka focused her Eva's AT Field into her Eva's feet and used the extra power to dash at high speeds up to him." Ritsuko replies calmly, glancing at the time limit remaining for the battle between Patrick and Sarah. "Well, it looks like there'll be a draw between the Fifth and Seventh Child."

* * *

Sarah vs. Patrick, Location – Geofront (Simulation).

Sarah was not happy and planned to yell at Ritsuko later for ordering Patrick to stop using his Limiter Removal thing. 'I'll deal with it later…' she reminds herself, dashing at Unit 04 and, before Patrick has time to react, knocks him down into the ground. "You lose, Patrick." Just as she swings her fist down at Unit 04's head, it stops.

Speaker: "Time limit reached. Match will be recorded as a draw."

"HEY!" Sarah shouts angrily, "I was about to win!" It was then she noticed that Unit 04's staff was inches from her Eva's head.

"No, it would have been a draw anyways." Patrick replies calmly.

Asuka vs. Shinji, Location – Tokyo-03 (Simulation).

Asuka glares at Unit 01, deciding not to comment about how Shinji was stealing her move like that until after the fight was over. 'Well, two can play at that game.' She charges her AT Field into both hands and feet now, blasting off the ground towards Shinji at high speeds. Shinji quickly realizes that if Asuka hit him at that speed, he couldn't stop it. Thinking fast, he focuses his AT Field behind him and into his other hand, bracing himself for Asuka's attack. Unit 02's right fist is aimed right at Unit 01's head, but Shinji manages to block and catch the fist with his Eva's left hand.

Needless to say, the force of the impacting AT Fields caused the buildings nearby to shatter as if they were blasted apart by a powerful shockwave.

Shinji was surprised at the force of the blow, barely able to keep his grip as his Eva's feet were scrapped against the virtual city road as the attack pushed him backwards. Unit 02 wastes no time sending her left fist at Unit 01, but Shinji blocks that attack with his right hand. This sends another shockwave, causing more buildings to be blown apart. Before Asuka can react, Shinji pushes her right fist downwards and grabs her left arm with both hands, throwing Unit 02 over his shoulder and at one of the buildings nearby at the edge of Tokyo-03.

"Wow…" Asuka mutters, her Eva crashing into the building. She looks around the building she was thrown into and grins. Before Shinji follows up with his attack, Asuka bursts out of the building holding a heavy railgun.

"…You have got to be kidding me." Shinji mutters, realizing the building he threw Unit 02 into was a weapon cache for the Evas. Unit 01 quickly ducks behind a nearby building, hiding from the barrage of bullets fired at him and his Eva. Shinji smiles in spite of himself, realizing neither him or Asuka were fighting seriously against each other. It was actually…fun. 'But it doesn't mean I'll go down this easily.' He adds mentally, realizing the building in front of him is a weapons cache and hits the button that opens it with his foot. Unit 01 stands up and grabs a Prog Sword from the weapons cache.

Shinji wasn't sure WHY he chose that weapon, but it seemed like a good idea. He frowns slightly, realizing Asuka was being a bit careless by wasting her weapons' ammunition. He hesitantly raises his sword but the weapons fire didn't change the position from where it was being fired. Shinji's eyes widen as he instinctively swings his sword horizontally to his right, blocking Unit 02's surprise attack. "Heh, nice job Shinji. I didn't think you'd catch on to my diversion." Asuka comments, pushing her Heavy Prog Sword against Shinji's normal sized Prog Sword.

"It seemed odd you'd just continue firing, pinning me down rather than just holding your fire and trying to draw me out into the open." Shinji replies, smiling as his Eva jumps back and over the gun fire, which stops. He notices a Prog Knife handle pressing against the trigger, the gun out of ammo but still trying to fire. "That was really clever though."

"Thanks Shinji." Asuka replies without thinking, blushing slightly. "Anyways…this isn't that bad. Just fighting for fun, I mean."

Shinji smiles in spite of himself. "I guess so…I don't like fighting much, but this is sort of…fun." Unit 01 crouches down, bracing his legs before jumping at Unit 02 and swinging its sword down at it. Asuka smirks, easily blocking the attack with her own sword. Shinji ignores the pain of shifting the hand he was holding the sword to his left and uppercuts Unit 02 with his Eva's fist.

Asuka didn't even expect that move and was launched into the air before recovering, flipping in the air backwards and landing on a building top. She just chuckles, "I didn't expect you to try that." Asuka suddenly remembers when Shinji kicked her away earlier. "Hey Shinji…you had the perfect opening to backstab me rather than kick me away. Why didn't you take it?"

The pilot of Unit 01 hesitates before replying. "Well, I didn't want to hurt you and this is just practice so…" He pauses, "You threw your Prog Knife at me but aimed for my shoulder rather than my back…Why did you do that?"

"Well…I saw you weren't fighting seriously so I decided to go easy on you." Asuka replies, that statement not exactly a lie. Suddenly, Shinji just laughs. "What's so funny?" the redhead demanded.

"Look at us. We're talking during a fight with only…" Shinji checks the time limit. "…About fifteen seconds left…wow."

"Time flies when you're having fun." Asuka notes, focusing her Eva's AT Field into her Heavy Prog Sword. "Let's attack each other at full power."

Shinji nods, charging his Eva's AT Field into the Prog Sword he's holding, bracing himself to jump at Asuka. Five seconds left. Both of them jump at each other, both swinging their sword at the other, the shockwave from the impact leveling the buildings around them. Both continue to push against the other but neither of them gains the upper hand as time runs out.

Speaker: "Time limit reached. Match will be recorded as a draw."

"Good match you two." Ritsuko's voice enters both of the simulation pods. "Now come on out so we can upgrade the program."

* * *

"What do you mean?" Misato asks curiously, watching both children leave the simulation pods and shake hands.

"I've added something interesting to the program that I need to update into the simulator." Ritsuko replies calmly. "Can you guess what it is, Misato?"

Misato glares at her. "Why do I have a feeling you're going to say 'Angels?'"

Ritsuko nods, "That's right, Misato. I'm adding in a program that allows the pilots to fight the previous Angels in combat." She pauses before continuing. "True, we had to do some guess work regarding some of the Angels in terms of abilities, but it should work."

"Fine, but it better be completely safe." Misato mutters, walking away. "Well, I'd better head home now. Seeya Rits."

Ritsuko frowns slightly after Misato leaves and turns to Maya. "Actually, can you do that Maya? I need to check if the pilot Commander Ikari selected is actually interested in this."

Maya nods, "Of course, Doctor Akagi. Hyuga, Aoba, I'll need some help with this." Both of the men nod, immediately getting to work as Ritsuko also leaves.

* * *

A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but I feel like getting a more in-depth with my description of this room.

The room was empty and dark, void of anything besides the large Doorway and a table with five chairs. The chairs each had an odd design on them and more resembled thrones, each having armrests and deep red cushions on it. Each of the chairs was glossy black in color. Each of the designs had a symbol engraved in the top of the chair, each with a different color.

Five cloaked figures walk out of the darkness from different directions, each sitting in a chair that represents them. Lord Varian sat in the chair closest to the doorway, the symbol of an upside down crimson cross on it. Darvin sits to Varian's right, the symbol of a strangely shaped dark brown battle staff. Morlina takes her seat on Varian's left, her chair emblazoned with a black gem surrounded by dark purple energy in a spiral. Shalock's chair is next to Morlina, two crescents facing away from each other with two black circles each at the left and right side on the symbol, dark grey in color. Chivalt's chair is next to Darvin's and has the symbol of an upside down sword, the blade light grey in color with a dark grey colored hilt and guard.

The Doorway has eight of the twelve orbs surrounding the upside down star glowing brightly. Chivalt notices this immediately. "Lord Varian, did you already awaken the next one? I thought you'd wait until tomorrow."

"I woke up Hyoragon one week ago." Lord Varian replies calmly, "He's already begun changing the playing field to his advantage rather than attack recklessly."

Darvin chuckles, "Good idea…should we awaken another Crimson Angel if Hyoragon fails or should we send SEELE's Eva Series?"

"You can decide while I am away, Darvin." Varian replies softly, standing up. "I think it's time to initiate stage two of my plan." He vanishes into thin air.

* * *

"I wonder who will be piloting Unit 07…" Asuka mutters over breakfast the next morning. She bites into her pancake and looks intently at Misato, who is sitting across from her.

"I don't know, Asuka." Misato admits ruefully, finishing her pancake. "If I knew, I'd tell you. The only thing I know about the pilot is that he or she is from your school."

"Good, we don't need another foreigner." Asuka replies firmly, ignoring the looks from Misato and the other two pilots. "The new pilot will be tested, right?" Misato nods, "Good. I'll see if this new guy is even worth the trouble."

"Actually…I think Rei should be the one to test the new pilot." Misato replies calmly. Rei frowns slightly before nodding. "After all, she knows how to go easy on someone while you…umm…"

Asuka glares at Misato before finishing her pancake. "You can end that statement right there. I don't hold back at all in a fight."

"Fine, fine." Misato remarks, rising to her feet as Shinji takes the dishes and begins washing them. "Shinji, you can wash those after we get home." She notices Asuka's odd stare and continues, "We're going to Nerv now. The Pilot should already be there."

Asuka nods approvingly, "Well, the new pilot is taking this seriously at least."

* * *

Serena sighs, looking at the pass into Nerv that she has with her as she stands in the secondary command center, which is now where the pilots use the simulators to practice. 'I just wanted to watch over some children, not join an organization.' She remembers Misato's reply to that, "Listen. I can't ferry all of these children everywhere and this pass only works for just entering the base, the hospital, the simulation room, and the command center. So don't complain."

"You just missed the new pilot." Ritsuko notes calmly, "Her sync isn't too bad for a beginner either."

"So the new pilot is a girl?" Serena asks calmly.

"Yes…she entered the simulator just before you arrived and-" Ritsuko is cut off by another voice.

"We're here!" Kensuke cheered, followed by Toji, Patrick, and Sarah as they enter the room from one of the doors. Before Ritsuko could scold the Sixth Child for interrupting her like that, the door on the opposite side opens. Misato, along with the first three children, walk into the room.

"Perfect timing, Misato." Ritsuko notes, sighing and turning to the controls. "I've decided to have Toji fight the new pilot." Toji nods, walking towards the elevator that led to the floor that the simulation pods were. "Also, go easy on her." She adds.

Toji stops, "Wait, it's a girl?" he stops walking just before he reaches the elevator, looking back at Ritsuko. "Umm, I wouldn't mind if it was Asuka, but-"

Asuka glares at him. "What's THAT suppose to mean, stooge?" she demanded in a flat voice.

"Okay, no fighting." Misato interrupts the potential fight. "Let's just have Rei do it then."

Ritsuko smiles, "Fine, that would probably work better." She turns to the First Child. "Rei, I would like you to fight her." Rei just nods and heads down the elevator.

"Why didn't you just have Rei put a plug suit on in this fight? Or Toji for that matter?" Misato asks curiously.

"Their syncs are high enough with them on so they'll be able to fight at an equivalent level with the new girl without the plug suit." Ritsuko explains calmly, turning to the screen displaying the virtual battlefield the new pilots would be fighting in. Tokyo-03.

* * *

Rei frowns as she enters the simulation pod, wondering who the new pilot was as she puts the A10 nerve clips on her head. Suddenly, a very familiar voice echoes on the intercom. "Hi Rei. I thought I was fighting Toji."

Rei's eyes widen slightly before she quickly recovers, "I didn't think you would be the Eighth Child." She admits calmly. "Toji did not wish to fight a girl in battle, so he declined."

"That stooge…" the voice sighed, a visual of the pilot appearing in the simulation pod. It was a young girl around 14 years old in age with freckles on her face and brown hair tied into two pigtails. The plug suit she is wearing is similar to Asuka's. The main color was orange with golden highlights. It was Hikari Horaki! "It's bad enough he rarely helps with cleaning the classroom after school, but now he's afraid of hurting a girl."

Rei smiles faintly, "However, he did mention he wouldn't mind fighting a girl if it was Asuka."

* * *

"Toji, you complete blockhead!" Hikari's voice shouts into the secondary commander center. Many of the pilots were stunned, most of all Shinji, Asuka, Toji, and Kensuke. Misato just blinks in surprise before shrugging.

"Hikari?" Asuka demanded after opening communications with the simulator pod with the Eighth Child inside. "You're the new pilot?"

"That's right, Asuka." Hikari replies cheerfully. "Isn't it great?"

"Oh my god!" Kensuke screams, "The class rep is an Eva Pilot? It's the End of the World!"

Asuka punches him in the face before glaring at Toji, who is just standing there in shock. "Well stooge? Reply to her already."

He looked slightly afraid, nodding hesitantly before walking over to the control panel with the communication window on it. He opens it, revealing Hikari's face. "Umm, hi Hikari."

She just glares at him. "I can't believe this. You'd have no trouble fighting Asuka or the other female Eva Pilots, but you're afraid of fighting me?"

"That isn't what I meant earlier." Toji complains, glaring at Hikari. "I just didn't want to hurt the new girl's feelings by beating her so easily." Toji immediately regretted those words.

"Toji, get down here and fight me. I'm going to make you pay for just thinking I'm weak." Hikari's glare hasn't faded in the slightest as she turns the off the communication window.

"'Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.'" Patrick mutters softly, "Does anyone want to make bets for this match?"

"Oh, good idea Patrick." Sarah replies cheerfully. "Anyone who is making a bet, tell me so I can write them down."

Toji sighs, going to the elevator and heading for the floor with the simulation pods. Rei exits the simulation pod she is in and walks over to the elevator, handing the A10 nerve clips to Toji as he walks past her. Toji puts them in and enters the simulation pod Rei just left, knowing that Hikari was likely going to rip him apart.

* * *

"Okay, we have 500 yen from Asuka for Hikari's victory, 250 yen from Kensuke for Toji winning, 100 yen from Shinji in favor of a tie, and I bet 500 yen for Hikari winning." Sarah notes, writing the bets down on paper. "Anyone else want to bet?"

"I was just kidding earlier, you know." Patrick mutters softly, catching Sarah's attention.

"Why don't you bet, Patrick?" Sarah suggested. "I'll offer a free prize if you win."

"Because I'm not getting involved in a lovers quarrel." Patrick replies calmly.

"Yet you have no problems suggesting that everyone should bet on who will win." Misato notes blandly. "Sarah, I'll bet 500 that Hikari will win."

* * *

Hikari vs. Toji, Location – Geofront (Simulation).

Unit 07 has a similar design to Unit 02, but has armor features that Unit 03 has as well. The head has two eyes on it. The armor coloring is the same as Hikari's plug suit, the main color being orange while the secondary color is a golden yellow color. Toji was wondering why it was taking so long to start the fight, but he wasn't complaining. Hikari opens a communication window to Toji, her expression less angry. "Okay, I'm willing to let that comment go if you apologize."

Toji breathes a sigh of relief, "Okay Hikari. I'm sorry I said that about you. You're a strong girl." He apologizes, mentally adding 'You'd have to be to hit me that hard with your book bag.'

She sighs, shaking her head. "Fine, I accept the apology, but it doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

Toji just nods. "I know. Good luck, Hikari." The timer starts the moment he finishes that statement, the Evas activating. Unit 03 quickly grabs a rocket launcher from the weapons cache next to him and aims it at Unit 07 before firing. Hikari smiles, glad Toji isn't going easy on her. Unit 07 projects its AT Field, blocking the missile and explosion from reaching her.

"Good think Doctor Akagi told me how to move and project an AT Field with my Eva before the others showed up." Hikari states softly to himself, having Unit 07 grab a machine gun and fires at Toji through the smoke. Toji drops the rocket launcher and grabs a Prog Axe from the weapons cache before charging at Unit 07 through the smoke. Most of the bullets missed him or were deflected by his AT Field as he breaks through the smoke. Then something occurs to him. Unit 07 is gone.

"Where is she?" Toji mutters, looking around before getting kicked in the back, knocking him to the ground, face first. "Gah…cheap shot."

"All's fair in love and war." Hikari replies sweetly, hopping onto his Eva's back and pulling both arms behind the Eva in a position similar to a policeman putting handcuffs on someone. "Give up, Toji?"

Asuka would never, EVER let Toji live this down. 'Beaten in combat by Hikari.' Kensuke wouldn't be much better in terms of letting Toji forget about losing to the class rep. "I'm not giving up that easily, Hikari." Toji replies in a strained voice, making his Eva's feet both bend forward and tries to stand up with Unit 07 still on him. Unit 03 slams his head back, hitting Unit 07 with it and forcing Hikari to let go.

"Ow…" Hikari gently touches her nose, but no blood comes out. "Do you have to be so rough." Her expression is hurt as she looks at Toji with pleading eyes.

Unit 03 stops moving and faces Unit 07, which is already standing up. "I'm sorry Hikari, I didn't mean to hurt you or-" Toji explains but the rest of his statement is cut off by a sharp cry of pain from him as Unit 03 collapses onto its knees, clutching the place Unit 07 kicked him. "Why…did you have to…hit me….there…" he cries out weakly.

Hikari doesn't respond verbally, but instead has Unit 07 uppercut him into the air before drawing its Prog Knife and throwing right at Unit 03, piercing its head.

Speaker: "Winner of this match is Unit 07."

* * *

Most of the men in the room wince slightly at where exactly Hikari kicked Unit 03. Asuka was laughing, "Nice kick, Hikari!" she cheered, smirking as Toji exits his simulation pod, wincing in pain. Hikari rushes over to Toji and apologizes for hurting him but he just shrugs it off.

"That had to hurt a lot…" Patrick mutters, "How can he even move right now?"

Ritsuko looks amused, "Most of the nerve connections around that region in the Evas aren't as sensitive as they are in the human body. After all, a blow like that would cripple a pilot, and Ikari didn't like that idea much." She frowns slightly, "I forgot to remake Unit 03 without those nerve connections because I was a bit rushed at the time to get all the Evas operational."

"That was a cheap shot!" Kensuke shouts at Hikari before having Asuka step FIRMLY on his foot, causing him to cry out on pain as he hops on one foot away from her.

"Let…it go, Kensuke." Toji mutters as both pilots reach the upper floor, Hikari supporting Toji so he could walk straight. "She won fair and square…there are no rules in battle…"

"I'm really, really sorry Toji." Hikari apologized, her face sad. "I don't know what came over me when I kicked you…between your legs." She blushes very red. "I didn't think about what I was doing. I was only fighting and-"

"Okay, I heard your apology…It was an accident. Let it go." Toji mutters painfully.

"Luckily, the pain should subside." Ritsuko notes, "So you'll be okay in a few minutes."

"Thanks…" Toji, with Hikari supporting him walks over to one of the chairs recently added to the room for the pilots to sit on after a match in the simulator so they could rest.

"Well, Hikari has the instincts for fighting." Ritsuko notes, looking over the fight data. "I don't think she's much of a fighter though."

Misato nods, "Yeah, but she can fight if necessary." She looks curiously at Ritsuko. "By the way Rits, did you add any new features to the Evas?"

She nods, "I decided to change the first three Eva's armor plates to the same materials the armor that Unit 04 and 07 uses, so they'll be able to have better usage of their AT Field when having a high sync ratio." Ritsuko frowns slightly, "I also added a new weapon…though it should be classified as a shield."

"Didn't you once tell me that shields aren't needed because the Evas have an AT Field?"

Ritsuko nods, "After we examined the 6th Crimson Angel, or what remained of him besides ashes, the research and development team could create a shield that's strong enough to endure most damage." She pauses, "At first, I didn't really see a need for it, but then the 7th Crimson Angel appeared and attacked from orbit. Unit 04 couldn't hold it off for long without the pilot becoming exhausted."

"Wait, didn't you make a shield for Unit 00 against Ramiel?" Asuka asks, continuing after Misato's curious expression. "I heard about it from Shinji."

"Yes. It was an improvised shield, but it didn't last long." Ritsuko replies before Misato can, earning a faint glare from the guardian. "Hikari, would you be interested in using a shield?"

Hikari looks away from Toji and stares at Ritsuko. "Sure. I'm not much of a fighter, really. I just wanted to join to help protect my friends."

Ritsuko nods, "Very well. Next time you fight, we'll be sure to send it-" Suddenly, alarms interrupt Ritsuko's statement. "Maya, what's going on?" she demanded, rushing over to her.

"We've detected a Crimson waveform pattern off the eastern coast of Japan!" Maya reports from the command center, "Commander Ikari wants all the pilots to suit up and prepare for combat."

"Understood." Ritsuko replies before turning around to face the children. "You heard Maya, get suited up immediately." However, her reply fell on deaf ears as the pilots had already left the room.

"They heard Maya quite clearly and already left." Misato said with a smile, "Lets go Rits." Ritsuko nods and dashes out of the room behind Misato, both of them heading for the main command center.

* * *

Misato and Ritsuko enter the command center within a minute and take the side elevator up to the main level. Hyuga, Maya, and Aoba are already in battle stations. Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki are also present. "Major, the target is 1 mile away from the city and we have a visual of it." Hyuga reports. "Let me put it onscreen."

The creature looked like a cross between a dragon and a bird. It had four long feathered wings that were white in color with sky blue feathers. Its body is covered in scales, also white, that resembled the scales the 4th Crimson Angel had. The 8th Crimson Angel had, oddly enough, two light blue eyes that seemed to send a chill down your spine. It also had a long white bird beak for a mouth.

The center of its chest seemed unarmored, sky blue in color. The creature also had a long tail with what appeared to be a trident tip at the end of it. The tail is scarcely armored, a combination of sky blue and white coloring on it while the trident tip was pure, frosted white in coloring. A chilling air seemed to surround it, changing the temperature around it to freezing. It cries out like a bird of prey, a shockwave of cold air fired in all directions as the trees below and around it are covered in ice.

"…This won't be one of our better days, will it?" Misato mutters darkly.

* * *

A/N: Well, I'm leaving it there for now. I'm torn between having another SEELE fight before chapter 25 or not…but I'll think of something. Also, I saw a non-canonical scene on YouTube between Kaworu vs. Ramiel. Kaworu had Unit 04 with him during the fight, the only appearance I've seen that has it. The best quality version was posted by Synapsidia. Three words for the video. It was epic. Seriously, you should watch it. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review


	22. Chilling Adversary

A/N: Well, this school week has three days so I'll have to rush through this chapter in order to finish it before said school week ends so you guys aren't stuck waiting longer than normal. Anyways…the 8th Crimson Angel has arrived, can our Heroes stop it?

A/A/N: The shield Hikari uses is the same one that Unit 04 used against Ramiel in that fight I told you guys about last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

"So, any idea on what that…thing can do?" Misato asked Ritsuko calmly, looking at the Crimson Angel onscreen. "It looks like it can use ice, but I doubt that tail is just for show either…or those extra wings."

Ritsuko nods, "Now that the Crimson Angel was detected, it seems it was behind the cold weather." Misato turns her head sharply towards Ritsuko. "Yes, that's what the Magi just theorized. That means it chilled the temperature in the area to give itself an advantage."

"The pilots are all in their Evas." Hyuga reports before turning his head to face Major Katsuragi. "Should we launch all of them?"

"No." Misato replied after a moment's consideration. "Let's just launch Units 03 through 07 and keep Units 00, 01, and 02 in reserve." Hyuga blinks, "Those three are the strongest we have and I'd prefer strengthening our other pilots rather than winning easily."

Ritsuko frowns, glancing at Commander Ikari, who just nods in agreement. "Go ahead then. You're in charge, Misato."

Misato nods. "Launch Units 03 through 07." She orders.

* * *

Chivalt calmly glances at Hyoragon, the 8th Crimson Angel, sitting on a frozen tree as the creature slowly flies towards Tokyo-03. "…Come out, Unit 01." He mutters softly, "I want to personally see your strength." He pulls his hood off, revealing his weathered face with small scars on it, looking to be in his thirties with short black hair cropping from under his helmet. What's odd is that his eyes are blue rather than their usual blood red.

He watches as five Eva Units are launched, but none of them are Unit 01. "…I see, holding him back unless absolutely necessary. Wise tactic." He notes calmly, rather than his usual short-tempered self. The man sighs, looking at his hand calmly. "I've rarely had a chance to actually be in control of my body rather than let the Crimson Angel itself control it…at least partially."

Chivalt calmly stands up, looking intently at Hyoragon. "I've made my choice. Should you fail, Hyoragon, I will fight next." His head sharply turns to the right before jumping back, the tree he was just standing on shattering into ice shards from a gravity field. "…Morlina." His voice is annoyed, landing on his feet in a crouched position and glancing past the falling shards of the frozen tree, seeing a cloaked figure. The figure holds a staff with a black gem at its tip, dark purple energy swirling around it. "What do you want?"

"…You've become self aware, huh?" She mutters darkly, clutching her staff and glaring at Chivalt with blood red eyes. "Lord Varian knew this would happen eventually…and told me to kill you and the Crimson Angel if necessary, should you rebel."

Chivalt stands up calmly, "Perhaps we should go elsewhere. If we stay here, Nerv will detect our fight." Morlina nods and creates a portal of darkness. Both of them walk into the portal, which vanishes the moment after they both enter it.

* * *

Hikari was more than a little nervous as she moved her Eva over to the weapons cache and pulled out a large shield. The shield resembles a riot shield, but has notable differences. "Wow, this is sort of weird…" Hikari mutters, still not completely used to piloting her Eva.

"Hikari, if you focus your AT Field into the shield, it will project a strong barrier." Ritsuko explains to her, "Even stronger than what an Eva can usually project with their AT Field."

"Okay, Doctor Akagi." Hikari replies softly. Unit 03 grabs a rocket launcher, Unit 04 spins his staff, Unit 05 pulls out a machine gun, and Unit 06 pulls out a couple of Prog Spears.

"Be cautious out there." Misato orders firmly to the pilots, "If you need help, we'll send Units 00, 01, and 02 out."

"Nah, we'll be okay. Right Kensuke?" Toji replies airily.

"Yeah, we'll kick this guys' ass." Kensuke says cheerfully, saluting to Major Katsuragi.

Unit 06 stabs one of her Prog Spears into the ground before throwing the other right at Hyoragon's upper left wing. The target projects an AT Field, easily stopping the spear from reaching it and grabs it in his beak. It breaks it in half with the bird-like beak before crying out like a bird of prey, almost inviting another attack.

Unit 03 targets it with his rocket launcher and fires, but Hyoragon merely flies above it. "Hey! I thought these things were heat-seeking." Toji complains.

"This Crimson Angel uses ice-based attacks in battle, and is surrounded by cold air." Misato points out, opening communications with Unit 03. "Heat-seeking missiles are next to useless against it."

"Now you tell me…" Toji mutters, discarding the rocket launcher before walking back to the weapons cache to get out a Prog Axe. The Crimson Angel, however, had other plans. It screeches loudly, causing the pilots to cover their ears in pain before firing a barrage of icicles from its wings at Toji, who was caught completely off-guard by this attack.

The other Evas jump out of the way of an indirect attack, but Hikari doesn't, dashing in front of Toji before pushing his Eva down and raising her shield towards the attack. She focuses her AT Field into the shield on instinct, creating a golden-colored hexagon barrier which blocks the storm of icicles. Not all of the icicles hit the AT Field, but the nearby building, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.

* * *

Misato narrows her eyes, noticing those icicles were, in fact, the feathers on the creatures' wings. Worse yet, they were regenerating, recreating the feathers on its wings. "What are those feathers made of?" she hears Ritsuko demand.

"The Magi aren't sure, but their density is almost as strong as the spikes that the 6th Crimson Angel had!" Hyuga reports bleakly.

"Could a normal AT Field block it?" Misato asks calmly, already knowing the answer.

Maya shakes her head sadly, "I don't think so. If the pilots had a sync of 85 or higher, then yes, but none of them have that high of a sync ratio yet."

* * *

Patrick overheard this conversation, as did most of the pilots due to not closing the connection with the command center. Kensuke opens communications with Unit 04. "Hey, Patrick, can't you go to 100 sync and block those shards?" he asks curiously.

The pilot of Unit 04 shakes his head. "The Eva L.R. Program was meant to augment the physical strength and armor of the Eva. I can't project an AT Field while using it at all, because it's infused into the Eva's armor." His face becomes bleak. "I can't use it very often, either. It puts a great deal of strain on the body."

"Yeah, well you could still fight him with it." Kensuke points out before cutting communications.

Patrick sighs, 'The higher your sync, the higher the risk. If I got a serious injury…I could die from it.' He notices the trident-like tail of Hyoragon glowing with light blue energy. "Everyone, move now!" He shouts to the other pilots, jumping back behind a nearby building. Sarah wastes no time crouching behind a building for cover. Hikari helps Unit 03 to its feet and dashes away with Toji by her side.

Kensuke, however, decided to try attacking it rather than flee. Unit 05 fires a barrage of bullet from his machine gun at Hyoragon, most of the bullets deflected by its armor. Some of them, however, hit the unarmored sections in its tail. Needless to say, Hyoragon did not enjoy getting hit there. It screeches, firing a beam of light blue light along the ground at Unit 05. The ground and buildings hit by the beam are frozen solid. Unit 05 quickly turns around and dashes away, but it hit by the beam in his left leg, covering it entirely in ice and freezing it to the ground.

* * *

"Cut the nerve connections in Unit 05 now!" Misato orders sharply, watching as the light beam trails up Unit 05's back.

"We can't!" Hyuga shouts, the announcement chilling Misato. "The Eva isn't responding to the signal!"

* * *

Unit 05's back is slowly frozen as the beam works its way to the head. Due to the level of synchronization Kensuke had, it could give him a serious, if not fatal injury, when the beam reaches his head. Units 03 and 07 dash out from behind the buildings they were hiding behind and up to Unit 05. Hikari activates the shield her Eva is holding, channeling the AT Field into it and projecting a golden barrier. Unit 03 draws his Prog Knife and carefully chips away at the ice pinning Kensuke's Eva to the ground.

"Toji…hurry…" Hikari gasps out, both the shield and AT Field being projected slowly being covered in ice. Suddenly, the beam of ice stops, or rather, is redirected before it stops. Unit 06 has recklessly stabbed her Prog Spear into its tail while Unit 04 has jumped onto Hyoragon's back, his staff in the positioned near the creatures' neck as Patrick pulls it back with both arms, trying to cut off its air circulation.

"DON'T SCREW WITH ME!" Hyoragon screeches loudly, his voice sounding like a bird of prey as it surrounds its body in the same light his ice-type beam had.

"Sarah, get away from him NOW!" Patrick shouts, letting go of the staff with one of his hand and kicking off from the Crimson Angel's back, ice formed on his Eva's feet. Sarah, who was only connected to the Crimson Angel by the spear she was using just lets go of her weapon, not a shard of ice getting on her Eva.

Hyoragon screeches again, firing a shockwave of arctic winds at the two nearby Evas. This attack knocks both of them back, multiple parts of their Eva's armor frozen solid. The damage would have been much worse had both of them not projected their AT Fields when they did. Unit 06 jumps back, glancing back and seeing Kensuke has been freed from the ice he was pinned to as Unit 03 half carries and half drags it to the Eva Launcher. Unit 07 dashes over to Unit 06, raising and projecting an AT Field through it to block an incoming barrage of ice feathers. "You okay, Sarah?"

"I've felt…better." Sarah mutters darkly before watching Unit 04 crawling out of the building it was knocked into, now holding a heavy railgun before firing at the Crimson Angel. It stops the barrage of feathers it was firing at Unit 06 and 07, turning to face Unit 04. As it turns to face Unit 04, Patrick discards the railgun and picks up his staff before dashing at the Crimson Angel.

As Patrick charges, he activates his Eva's L.R. Program before jumping above a storm of feathers Hyoragon fires at him. His Eva's AT Field infuses into the armor as he slams his staff into its upper right wing, causing a loud cracking sound. The creature's shriek of pain was near deafening, causing Patrick to clutch his head in pain, a movement mimicked by his Eva as he falls to the ground. The creature flies back before opening its mouth, charging energy into a sphere in front of him before firing it at Unit 04.

The moment it hits, Unit 04 and a 25 meter radius around the impact point is flash frozen in ice. The Crimson Angel was, unfortunately, out of range of the attack. "PATRICK!" Sarah screamed in horror, her Eva being held back by Hikari. "Let me GO, Hikari!"

Hikari, surprisingly, slaps her Eva, an action felt by Sarah. "Calm down, Sarah." She snaps, "If you charge in like that, you'll end up the same way."

"Don't worry pilots." Misato's voice enter their cockpits, "Patrick disabled his Eva's L.R. Program and projected an AT Field to prevent him from taking lethal damage. He's in bad shape, but he'll be okay until you beat this guy."

Sarah breathes a sigh of relief, calming down a bit before grabbing a positron rifle and targeting the creature in the wing below the one Patrick hit. Before she could fire, Hyoragon charges another sphere of energy and fires it at both her and Unit 07. Hikari projects an AT Field through the shield, creating a barrier.

The results were different than with Unit 04. The AT Field stopped the orb, but it didn't explode or anything. The orb continues barreling towards Unit 07, pushing Hikari back as she struggles to keep the barrier up. Her Eva's AT Field begins to shrink, the pilot losing the endurance to keep it up. She gasps as the AT Field fades away and the orb hits her shield.

The shield is instantly frozen solid, as well as Unit 07's lower legs and hands. Unit 06 was just behind Unit 07, and was protected form further damage. The ice formed a circular dome like before; the only difference is that anything behind the shield and Unit 07 was unfrozen. The 8th Crimson Angel screeches in triumph, unaware of Toji in the air behind him with a Prog Axe in hand. "DIE!" The Pilot of Unit 03 roars as he slashes his axe through both of the Crimson Angel's left wings, severing both of them easily.

* * *

"Toji's sync jumped to 100!" Maya reports, her expression amazed.

"What?" Ritsuko demanded, dashing over to see for herself. Her eyes widen, "Amazing…your idea of improving the other Children worked, Misato."

Misato just nods, continuing to watch the fight.

* * *

Toji had a hard time tuning out the screech of pain from the Crimson Angel, but managed to reverse the weapon and slash off its other two wings with ease as they were falling, destroying any chance for its retreat, the ability to fly, and his ability of firing those feathers. The Crimson Angel creates four claws of ice, using them to land on and move with as he slams his tail at where Unit 03 will land. Toji smirks, slamming his Axe at the ground and using it like a pole vault, pushing off it and flipping back as the Crimson Angel's tail cuts through the Prog Axe with ease.

"Amazing…" Hikari whispers softly, watching Toji in awe through Unit 06's communication window, which has moved itself in a sniping position at a nearby building.

Sarah nods, "I'd have to agree with that…but I'm taking that thing out if I get the chance." She watches Unit 03 take out a rocket launcher and fires a rocket at the target. It notices this and projects an AT Field to shield itself from the damage. The pilot of Unit 06 smirks, waiting for that creature to do that. She fires a positron sniper beam at the Crimson Angel's back, using her Eva's S2 Engine as the power supply.

Hyoragon is shot in the back, barely missing its S2 Core. It screeches again, sharply turning around and charging energy into a small sphere, planning to lock Unit 06 in a permanent tomb of ice. Sarah chuckles, "You let your guard down, dumbass." She taunts Hyoragon.

Behind Hyoragon, Toji slashes diagonally down at its head with another Prog Axe, gashing deeply into it and causing Hyoragon to point his beak skyward, firing the sphere of energy at the sky, barely missing Toji as it falls onto its back. Unit 03 pins the Crimson Angel to the ground before slamming his Axe right into its chest, hitting the creatures' S2 Core. It screeches, but shockingly enough, it sounds almost like a human rather than a bird of prey as its body begins to burn.

It refused to die without a fight however, lashing its tail at Unit 03's back, planning to at least kill Unit 03's pilot. Suddenly, a beam of light severs the tail and disintegrates most of it, only the trident tip of it remaining. The tip falls harmlessly to the ground as Unit 03 gets off the burning corpse of the Crimson Angel, looking at the source of the attack. "Thanks Sarah."

The pilot of Unit 06 nods, "Not a problem." Her voice was slightly shaken as she watches the Crimson Angel's body burn to ashes and the human presence she felt from it vanish. 'What the hell…are these things?'

* * *

"Hey, that tail tip isn't burning to ashes like the rest of it." Misato notes, "Is that how you got the Crimson Angel samples you needed for that shield?"

Ritsuko nods, "Any part of the Crimson Angel that it not connected to the main body remains undamaged. It only works for non-living matter, like those diamond crystals the 6th Crimson Angel used or the tail of the 8th Crimson Angel."

"We won, I guess." Misato muttered before opening communications to the pilots. "Okay Pilots, you'll need to break up all the ice before calling it a day." Asuka is heard chuckling in the background, "That goes for you three too." She has Maya launch them to help with the cleanup.

* * *

Sarah ignores her, rushing over to Unit 04 and opening communications with the Pilot. "Patrick, are you okay?"

"I'm fine…just tired and really cold…" He mutters softly, shivering.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll get you out of there." Sarah promised, opening a nearby weapons cache before pulling out a Prog Axe and cutting away at the ice.

Toji rushes over to Unit 07. "You okay, Hikari?" he asks in a concerned voice.

Hikari nods, hiding the faint blush on her cheeks. "Yeah…except my hands and feet feel like icicles."

"Okay, I'll get right on it." Toji promises, drawing his Prog Knife from his Eva's shoulder holster and carefully chipping away the ice around her hands.

* * *

Asuka was NOT happy about this. It was bad enough she couldn't fight the Crimson Angel, but she was forced to help clean up the mess left behind. "I can't believe this…it's not fair…" she mutters darkly, carrying a block of ice that was cut away from the ice around Unit 04 over to the edge of the city.

"I'm sorry we left all this work, Asuka." Hikari apologizes, her Eva now freed and carefully cutting the ice away from the shield she was using.

"Its okay, Hikari…" Asuka replies, forcing her voice to remain calm. "I'm just annoyed that I couldn't even fight out there…"

The pilot of Unit 07 nods, "I understand Asuka…" she pauses, "Toji was amazing out there." Hikari's voice was filled with awe and, Asuka could tell, a hint of compassion towards the stooge.

"That's what a 100 sync ratio gives you, I guess." Kensuke muttered, watching from the command center as Unit 03 chips away the ice on his Eva. "Nice job out there, Toji."

"Thanks Kensuke." Toji states softly, finishing his work and moving Unit 05 back to the Eva Launcher. Unit 05 is taken back down to the Geofront and Nerv HQ.

"Why can't we wait for this ice to melt?" Asuka demanded, getting sore from all this work. "We've freed all the Evas from the ice." She points out, noticing Unit 06 finishing up her work on Unit 04. Patrick struggles with the Eva, forcing it to its feet and, with the help of Sarah in Unit 06, reaches the Eva Launcher back to the Geofront.

"It would take about three days for it all to thaw…and you kids do have school tomorrow." Ritsuko points out. The pilots all sigh at this, except Rei, who is continuing to chip away at the remains of the ice block Asuka brought to the edge of the city.

* * *

"Impossible…" Morlina gasps, falling to her hands and knees, clutching her staff weakly as Chivalt swings his sword to his side calmly. There are multiple cuts in Morlina's cloak, as well as his own, but he continues standing. "How…are you this strong…and how can you just betray…Lord Varian?"

"I joined Varian under the condition that he would help me…and I'm sick of waiting…" Chivalt replies softly, "I may have sold my soul to Him, but I made no such promise of loyalty to Varian OR you."

Morlina struggles to her feet, using her staff to hold her body up before she charges energy into her staff. Chivalt, however, gives her no chance to use her powers again. He kicks her square in the chest, knocking her away and onto her back. Just as Morlina tries to stand up again, Chivalt appears in front of her, the tip of his sword at her neck. "…If you plan to kill me, then go ahead…" Morlina states flatly, glaring at Chivalt.

Chivalt doesn't make a move to kill her. After a few seconds, he withdraws his sword and sheathes it, walking away. "I have no reason to kill you…and for your earlier question as to why I'm so strong." He stops walking, turning to face Morlina. "I've always been this strong, but the Crimson Angel lost himself in his rage rather than fight with a calm and rational mind." Chivalt glares at the cloaked woman briefly before turning away, opening a portal of darkness in front of him.

"You preach honor yet dishonor yourself by betraying us." Morlina demanded, struggling to her feet again.

Chivalt closes his eyes slowly. "My honor vanished the moment I sold my soul…and I'm not defying Him, just Varian and the other Crimson Angels." He walks through the portal, which vanishes the moment after he steps through it. Morlina manages to remain conscious for a few more seconds before blacking out.

* * *

Misato sighs, glancing at the large trident-like tail of the Crimson Angel before staring at Ritsuko. "So, what do you actually plan to do with this?"

Ritsuko shrugs, "Well, the 6th Crimson Angel's crystals were incorporated into the shield Unit 07 used, so I'm sure we could use this for a weapon."

"Are using these Crimson Angel parts entirely safe?" Misato asks curiously.

Ritsuko nods, "I think so, but I don't plan to incorporate it with the armor. I'd prefer not to take a risk of bio-contamination."

"I'm going to check up on everyone." Misato says, glancing at the trident-like object before leaving the room, heading for the Nerv hospital.

* * *

Darvin glances at the collapsed figure of Morlina before taking in his surroundings. The area around him is filled with shattered earth, deep gashes in the ground, and crumbling cliff sides. "…Morlina, wake up." He snaps firmly, pulling out his strangely shaped dark brown staff and raising it. Morlina's body rises into the air as she becomes surrounded in a faint white aura.

Her eyes snap open, staring at Darvin. "…It was Chivalt. I couldn't beat him…" she admits regretfully. Darvin nods and lowers his staff, Morlina no longer floating or surrounded by the aura.

"I see…has his human half taken full control?" Darvin asks calmly. Morlina hesitates before nodding, causing Darvin to sigh. "Lord Varian knew it would happen eventually. A strong will is necessary to maintain a human form after the soul of a Crimson Angel has been implanted into you. If your willpower is weak, like most of the Crimson Angels, your form is distorted and altered. The Crimson Angel gains complete control, tending to act like a mindless beast. If your willpower is too strong, the human becomes defiant and refuses to obey. The human gains total control of the body, overriding the consciousness of the Crimson Angel and gaining its power."

Morlina sighs, "So, what do we do about it?" she winces, clutching her side gently from pain. "After I recover, that is."

"I can beat him, even if his human half has complete mastery of his body." Darvin hesitates before pulling out a cell phone and dialing it. Morlina raises an eyebrow at this but doesn't comment. The moment the other end picks up, he begins speaking. "Lord Varian. Chivalt has betrayed us. Should I kill him?"

"No. Let him do what he wishes." Varian's calm reply came from the phone. "I'm keeping an eye on him and, since he hasn't started to burn to death, he hasn't openly betrayed our Master." He pauses, "Don't bother sending SEELE or another Crimson Angel until after Chivalt makes his move."

"Are you sure he'll actually try and retrieve Unit 01?" Darvin demanded incredulously.

"That's right." Varian replies calmly, "I know the type of man he was when he was still human. He'll go by his word and take Unit 01…or die trying. It was the agreement I made with him when he chose to serve me and our Master."

"…I understand." Darvin mutters, "I'll take no action against Chivalt or Nerv. Goodbye." He hangs up, pocketing the phone before opening a dark portal in front of him. "Let's get you back, Morlina. You'll need to recover from those wounds."

* * *

Patrick sneezes, wrapped up in a warm blanket as he blows his nose. He sighs, sniffling before sipping on some hot chocolate. He hears the door open and Misato glances inside the hospital room. "I'm surprised. I though Sarah would be in the same room as you." Misato notes, standing outside the room.

"I told her not to enter because I don't want her getting sick." Patrick replies in a soft voice, sniffling again. "We don't need more sick pilots, right?"

Misato nods. "Get some rest." She says before closing the door, walking down the hallway to the next room on the left. In the room, Toji has a confident smirk on his face; having reached the same level Rei was currently at. "Hey, guys. How's the conquering hero?"

Asuka snorts, glaring at the stooge. "I'll admit he's improved, but he'll never reach my level." Shinji is sitting on the only couch in the room next to Asuka, which was an addition since Misato had seen the room a few days ago. Kensuke is in the other bed and, like Patrick, is wrapped up in a warm blanket and sipping on some hot chocolate. However, unlike Patrick, he didn't have a cold and was allowed to have visitors. Rei was sitting in one of the chairs in the room while Hikari was sitting in the other, next to Toji's bed.

"Huh, I expected Sarah to be in here too." Misato mutters to herself before speaking to Toji. "Congrats, your sync ratio reached 100…but you already knew that. Anyways, I'm surprised Toji hasn't been gloating about his victory like last time."

Toji shrugs, "My sync score speaks for itself. I don't need to beat the fact into their heads that I'm catching up to Asuka and Shinji." The real reason he chose not to comment was likely the fact that both Asuka and Hikari were in the room.

Asuka glares at him and is about to comment but Shinji beats her to it. "You were great out there, Toji." He compliments the Fourth Child.

Kensuke nods, "Yeah, he was amazing. Unit 03 cut off that guy's wings, grounding it before slashing into its head and killing it by hitting that guy's S2 Core."

"We all saw the fight." Hikari said with a smile, "Toji was great out there." Her right hand lightly rests on top of Toji's left, causing both of them to blush faintly. "I don't think I did that great of a job out there, though."

"No, you were great out there Hikari." Toji replies quickly. "You helped protect us…and we would have lost if you didn't."

Asuka was surprised at that but recovers. "Yeah, you did a great job keeping these guys out of trouble." She replies, referring to Toji and Kensuke.

Kensuke glares before responding. "Well, I guess you're right…but I'm sure we would have thought of something even without Hikari's help."

"I doubt it…" Asuka mutters darkly, loud enough for Kensuke to hear it.

Before the Sixth Child has the chance to respond, Misato decides to ask a question in order to stall the coming argument. "Asuka, do you have any idea where Sarah is?"

Asuka looks at Misato and nods, "Yeah, she's probably in her room. She said something about talking with her friends in America."

"Okay, Asuka. All of you behave while I'm gone." Misato wisely chose to leave the room, the potential of a fight high with Kensuke, Toji, and Asuka all in the same room.

* * *

"_Well, I've felt better Jess."_ Sarah replies airily, shrugging slightly. _"Patrick got a cold, so I can't really see him."_

Jessica, her friend from America, rolls her eyes on the computer screen. _"That's not a bad thing. You shouldn't spend all your time with him."_

"_Yeah, I know…"_ Sarah sighs, running her hand through her hair, still not tied back. _"Anyways, it was fun talking with you and sorry about that time I had to cut you off."_

"_It wasn't a problem. I had to get off to do chores about a minute later anyways. Seeya, Sarah."_ Her camera window becomes black, having turned it off. Sarah sighs and turns her computer off, putting it on the nearby side table.

Moments later, Misato enters Sarah's room. "Are you busy?" she asks the Seventh Child, who just shakes her head. "Good. I need to talk with you." Misato closes the door behind her and walks to a nearby chair, facing Sarah.

"About what, Misato?" Sarah asks curiously.

"The Crimson Angel you were facing." Sarah's eyes narrow at this but Misato continues. "You felt something during the fight, didn't you?"

Sarah nods, "Another human presence…though it was slightly stronger than the other demon-form Crimson Angels." She replies softly, "The presence in each battle seems to get stronger with each Crimson Angel we fight…except that centaur Crimson Angel. The human presence in that one was very strong...even more so than this Crimson Angel."

Misato frowns, thinking for a few moments before staring at Sarah. "Okay, I'll trust you on this then." She stands up before walking to the door. "Get some rest, Sarah." Misato leaves the room, closing the door as she exits. 'A human presence…either Ikari is hiding things again or he doesn't know about it.' Her thoughts trail off. 'I think I should ask him about this.'

* * *

A/N: There you have it. I actually managed to type an entire chapter in three hours worth of school time (Study Halls). Anyways, I'm pleased how this chapter came out and plan to work on the next one ASAP. See you next time!

Read and Review!


	23. The Crimson Knight

A/N: Hello my readers…I really have nothing to say except to be wary. I wonder what Chivalt will do in order to take Unit 01 from Nerv. You'll find out this chapter, so let's get started.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

Commander Ikari glances over a copy of an old document in front of him in his office, frowning slightly at the next few lines he was reading. Fuyutsuki, who is standing next to him, notices this and decides to speak. "What's wrong?"

Commander Ikari taps the lines of translated text he was reading. "This section mentions a division of fate. A fate that will be determined by one of the Crimson Angels after Hyoragon, the 8th Crimson Angel, is defeated. Depending on the choice the Crimson Angel makes will determine who will win this war. Humanity or the Crimson Angels."

Fuyutsuki raises an eyebrow, "I thought that the future was already written in stone."

The Commander of Nerv shakes his head. "The future was written in stone in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but these documents are more fluid, leaving things open to interpretation. Most of these fluid events are minor and will not affect victory or defeat in either side. However, this 'choice' will determine who wins this war." He sighs, folding his hands in front of them and resting his chin on them.

"So…what can we do in order to change this 'choice' in our favor?" Fuyutsuki asks calmly, picking up and reading the document Ikari was just looking at.

"We can do nothing until the 'choice' is made…and then our side also has a 'choice' to make, should the Crimson Angel's decision goes in our favor."

Fuyutsuki frowns as he reads the lines Ikari pointed out earlier. "'Chivalt, the Crimson Knight, will descend from the sky and either proclaim his challenge or bring death and destruction in his wake. Should Chivalt's heart be filled with light, he shall proclaim his challenge, and the Savior of Humanity and Champion of the Lilim must step forward and either accept or decline the challenge, and this decision shall determine if the Lilim survive or are utterly destroyed. Should Chivalt's heart be filled with darkness, he shall bring humanity to ruin and destruction.'" Fuyutsuki looks at Ikari, "…So, we just wait until the time comes and hope both the Crimson Angel and your son make the right choices?"

"Correct…but the idea that our fate is determined by a Crimson Angel makes things complicated. He could easily make a choice that causes our absolute defeat." Ikari points out flatly. "However…the fact he is forced to make such a choice means his loyalties are divided." A loud knock is heard on his door, "Enter."

Major Katsuragi walks into the room, shutting the door behind her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to discuss something important with you, Commander Ikari."

"Very well." Commander Ikari responds in a monotone voice, "Speak."

Misato hesitates, "If you've read Sarah's personal record, you should know about her odd 'ability' or 'intuition' that she has." She explains calmly, "Recently, she has been getting a 'feeling' that the Crimson Angels have a human consciousness, as well as the Crimson Angel's own consciousness." Ikari nods, signaling her to continue. "Recently, the 'feeling' of a human consciousness in the Crimson Angels has been getting stronger...but the strongest feeling came from the 3rd Crimson Angel."

Commander Ikari looks intently at Misato before nodding his head. "I see. Thank you for this information, Major Katsuragi. You are dismissed."

Misato nods her head. "Understood." She turns around and walks out of the room, the door closing behind her.

"…This has made things clearer." Commander Ikari states calmly after five seconds of silence, "If this is true, it would explain the fifth and sixth line at page three of the translations." He opens the drawer in his desk, pulling out a folder with documents and pulling another translated page out, handing it to Fuyutsuki.

"'They are divided into two halves. One of pure light and one of pure darkness. These fallen Angels have lost their original forms and gained new ones at the cost of this division. The stronger the side of light, the more sentient and conscious of their actions they become. The stronger the side of darkness, the more beast-like and destructive they become. Only with a perfect balance of light and darkness shall allow their original form to reawaken.'" Fuyutsuki frowns at this, "Do you think the Crimson Angels are using humans as a medium for their bodies?" Ikari nods, "So…the light is referring to the strength of the willpower the human possesses compared to the power of darkness and corruption the Crimson Angel possesses?"

"Correct." Commander Ikari replies in a calm voice. "At first, I was uncertain what the 'light' was referring to, but the light refers to the human inhabiting the body."

"I see…" Fuyutsuki mutters, handing the documents back. "I guess all we can do is await the time the Crimson Angel appears."

* * *

"How long are we going to be stuck staying here?" Asuka demanded the next day to Misato in the secondary commander center, all the other pilots present except Patrick. "I don't mind kicking everyone's asses in the simulator…" That comment was met with retorts from Toji and Kensuke, which was ignored by both parties. "…But I'm tired of being here and eating the crappy food they serve here."

"If you want to complain, then talk to Commander Ikari. I'm just following his orders." Misato replies flatly, secretly wondering why she was given that order anyways. "All of you are to stay in Nerv HQ until further notice. I don't know why, but Ikari must have his reasons."

Asuka just snorts and turns away. "Is Commander Ikari expecting another attack?" Rei asks in a monotone voice.

Misato becomes silent. "I'm not sure, Rei." She admits ruefully. "But that might be the reason."

Ritsuko walks into the room, carrying a clipboard in her hands. "Good morning pilots. How are you all feeling today?"

"Bored." Toji mutters.

"Yeah, we're getting tired of being stuck here for no other reason besides Ikari's stupid orders." Asuka snaps, glaring at Doctor Akagi. "I want a good reason or I'm leaving."

Ritsuko sighs, "Commander Ikari believes another Crimson Angel attack will occur soon…and it'll be a strong one too. So, if the alarm starts sounding, head to your Evas immediately."

"Cool!" Kensuke remarks cheerfully before Ritsuko glares at him. "…Sorry, Doctor Akagi. I'm sure that we'll win anyways, no matter how strong the enemy is!"

"Yeah." Toji agrees with Kensuke. "Even if most of us lose, Shinji…and even Asuka can't be beaten in battle."

Hikari smiles at Toji, glad he's decided not to try taunting Asuka…this time. "Toji's right. Speaking of which…all of you will have to make up all the school and homework assigned yesterday and today."

Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji groan with annoyance. Sarah and Asuka just sigh at this announcement. Rei, however, has no reaction. "Why'd you have to remind us, class rep?" Toji complains, slipping back to the old name he used around Hikari.

"You'd forget if I didn't remind you, Toji." Hikari points out, frowning at Toji for using that name.

"So who is up first in the simulator?" Kensuke asks curiously, hoping he can go first this time.

"Actually…we'll be doing something different today instead of fight each other. You'll be teaming up to fight simulated versions of the previous Angels." Ritsuko explains calmly. "As well as a simulation battle against the Eva Series Units after I finish the other four simulation pods."

The room is silent for a whole fifteen seconds before Kensuke responds. "YES! I can fight the previous Angels in battle! This is so awesome!" he cheered.

Asuka and Shinji's reactions, however, were less than satisfactory. "No, not again." Asuka states firmly. "I'm not fighting those bastards AGAIN, especially not the 15th Angel…"

"We already beat them once, why do we have to do it again?" Shinji asked, "I don't want to fight them again…especially since there's no reason to."

Ritsuko sighs, "Actually, there's a couple of reasons. The first one is that most of our enemies have abilities that you don't get to face in Eva vs. Eva fights. By fighting the previous Angels in combat, you'll be able to adapt more easily to the abilities and powers the Crimson Angels might possess." She glances at the first three Pilots. "Since you three were the ones who fought the previous Angels, I'd like at least one of you in each simulation fight to act like the group leader."

Rei nods, "That tactic seems acceptable. It will allow us to act more efficiently as a group in fights later on against the Crimson Angels."

Ritsuko nods, "That's the other reason I'd like you to do this. Working as a team will be necessary when fighting the human-form Crimson Angels." She notices the reluctance in both Asuka's and Shinji's faces and sighs. "We'll have Rei and three others go first…but I'm surprised you don't want to face the first few Angels, Asuka."

Asuka snorts, "I already know everything about them, and they are weak compared to my level of power when fully synchronized with my Eva."

Ritsuko shrugs, "Okay, well, who wants to test it out?" Kensuke immediately raises his hand, not surprising anyone in the room. Toji raises his hand a few seconds later, as does Sarah. "Okay. You four get in the simulator pods while we get the battle set up." The pilots all nod and head down using the side elevator to the floor where the simulation pods are.

"If they are all sent out like that, the 3rd Angel will get its ass kicked in record time." Asuka points out.

Ritsuko smirks, "Yes, I thought of that…which is why I added some new and interesting powers to the Angels, increasing the difficulty."

"Doctor Akagi, the pilots are all ready." A technician reports.

"Good. Start the simulation battle with Sachiel." She replies.

* * *

Units 00, 03, 05, and 06 all reach the surface of virtual Tokyo-03 at nighttime in four separate locations, surrounding the 3rd Angel, Sachiel. Rei frowns, noticing some differences in Sachiel compared to the first time she faced it in Unit 01. True, she lost against it and Shinji was forced to pilot in her stead, but she had a feeling that this time, the Angel would not be easy to take down. "All pilots, approach the target with caution. It is likely that Nerv increased the difficulty of the Angels in order to sufficiently test us."

"Right." Kensuke responds, opening the weapons cache next to him and pulling out a machine gun, pointing it at Sachiel. Toji nods, walking backwards 10 meters in order to open a weapons cache and pulls out a Prog Axe. Sarah frowns after noticing there was no weapons cache nearby and decides to draw her Prof Knife.

Rei stares intently at Sachiel, noticing that its coloring has a slightly bluish tinge than the first time she saw it. She then remembers the name it was given in the Dead Sea Scrolls and opens communications again. "Sachiel was named for the Angel of Water. It may possess abilities in that regard, so be on guard."

Unit 00 pulls out her Prog Knife rather than a weapon from the weapons cache next to her. Sachiel's eyes almost seem to narrow as it slams its palm into the ground, causing a line of pressurized pillars of water to erupt from under the ground, heading straight for Unit 00. Rei jumps to the side with her Eva, evading the attack as Unit 05 fires a barrage of bullets at Sachiel, which are blocked by an AT Field.

Sachiel is about to attack Unit 05 with the same move it used against Rei when both Units 03 and 06 attack it with their Prog Axe and Knife. Its AT Field doesn't block the attack but a line of water pillars erupt from under the ground where their weapons are about to strike, the highly pressurized streams of water cutting through the weapons with ease. Units 03 and 06 quickly retreat away, Toji surprised at such a move while Sarah's eyes narrow, looking intently at Sachiel.

Rei frowns, processing the data she's collected from the battle so far. 'Odd…there were openings between Units 03 and 05 in the pillars.' She realizes the Angel's weakness this time and opens communications with the other Evas. "Unit 05, continue your ranged attack on my signal. Unit 03, go to the weapons cache and get a machine gun before standing on the side of the Angel opposite of Unit 05. Unit 06, get a Prog Spear from the weapons cache next to you and get ready to attack the target and destroy its S2 Core."

Unit 00 waits until the other pilots are ready before giving the signal. "Go!" she shouts, charging at Sachiel. Unit 05 fires a barrage of bullets at the Angel, but like before, are easily blocked by the Angel's AT Field. Unit 03 fires his machine gun and, since it could not project its AT Field in two places at once, used a line of water pillars to block the bullets. Unit 00 stabs her Prof Knife at the Angel but, rather than the water pillars she expected, Sachiel grabs her wrist before she could react. "Unit 06, withdraw!" Sarah stops her charge and jumps back, a line of water pillars erupting from where she jumped off from.

* * *

"Rei figured out the target's weakness pretty fast, huh?" Misato notes calmly, glancing at Ritsuko. "But you've programmed the Angel to act smarter than to just fall of a trick like that."

Hikari looks confused, more focused on the Evas rather than the Angel. "What's the weakness?"

"It can't use a large number of water pillars for defense…only about half way around its body." Ritsuko explains.

* * *

Unit 00 struggles to break free from Sachiel, both Units 03 and 05 continuing to fire bullets at the target. Suddenly, a column of water erupts from behind the Angel's right arm. Rei manages to toss her Prof Knife to her other hand before the pressurized water surges through the target's arm and through its palm, piercing Unit 00 through its wrist. Rei holds back a cry of pain as she stabs her Prog Knife with her left hand at Sachiel, but is pierced through her lower arm by a water pillar.

Sachiel lets go of her right wrist, pulling his right hand back and surrounding parts of his right arm with highly pressurized water streams firing away from the back in order to increase the power as he punches towards Unit 00, fully focused on her rather than the other Evas. That turned out to be a mistake as its right arm is severed from the elbow by Unit 05, who charged at Sachiel the moment he was distracted by Rei. As he was charging, he continued his barrage of bullets, drawing his Prog Knife and canceling out the enemy AT Field before using the Prog Knife to sever the arm.

Sachiel lost his grip on Unit 00, the focus needed to keep the water pillar active gone. Rei wastes no time in jumping back, away from the target so she could recover. Before Sachiel could attack Kensuke with his left hand, Toji's barrage of bullets hits him in the back, causing the Angel to cry out in pain and turn towards Unit 03. This was his fatal mistake, as Sarah, still holding her Prog Spear was waiting for him rather than Toji and Unit 03. Smirking, she stabs the spear straight into its S2 Core, causing it to scream in pain before exploding, forming a glowing energy cross. Unit 06 was mostly undamaged by the explosion.

Speaker: "The Third Angel, Sachiel, has been defeated. Battle will be recorded for future viewing."

* * *

"Impressive." Ritsuko notes calmly, glancing at the sync scores. "Take a look at this, Misato." She walks over and glances at the scores for the pilots just now leaving the simulator.

Rei: 90

Toji: 83

Kensuke: 82

Sarah: 78

"Wow…Rei went up 5 points and the others went up 6 points…" Misato states softly, "They keep this up and we might be able to match the human-form Crimson Angels in terms of power."

Ritsuko nods. "Yeah…Asuka, Shinji, and Hikari. Could you enter to simulation pods so we can check your sync scores?"

"Sure." Hikari replies, walking over to the elevator with Asuka and Shinji behind her, weary expressions on their face from being stuck doing a sync test.

When the reach the bottom, and out of earshot of Misato and Ritsuko, Asuka openly complains about it. "Why do we have to do a sync test now?" she demanded flatly.

"Well…they just checked the others' scores and there's no point in checking their scores and not ours." Shinji replies softly.

"Heh, looks like Rei caught up to you, Asuka." Toji points out, walking up to the side elevator as Hikari, Shinji, and Asuka leave it. "Are you losing your touch already?"

Hikari glares at Toji, shutting him up immediately. Kensuke is about to reply but Hikari's glare causes him to remain silent. "No, I'm not Toji." Asuka replies in a flinty voice. "I've surpassed Rei by reaching 400 sync, remember?"

Toji frowns before walking past her and onto the elevator, Kensuke right behind him. Hikari starts walking over to the simulation pods. Sarah smiles faintly, nodding to Asuka before also getting on. Rei, oddly enough, decides to say something. "Good luck, Asuka." Rei states calmly before getting on the elevator.

Asuka stares at Rei until she's out of sight. "…Okay, that was weird." She mutters, heading to the simulation pods with Shinji right behind her.

* * *

Asuka: 94

Shinji: 96

Hikari: 77

"Nice…Hikari went up 8 points." Misato notes, "Asuka went up by 2 points and Shinji went up by 1 point."

"Looks like Asuka beat Rei's score again…but still can't beat Shinji's." Ritsuko comments, "Except that moment when she reached 400 synchronization against Varian."

"True…" Misato mutters, "Hopefully the human-form Crimson Angels will wait until we can actually fight them without losing."

"I wouldn't hold my breath." Ritsuko mutters, motioning Misato to follow her. Curious, she decides to follow Doctor Akagi. When they are out of earshot of the other pilots, Ritsuko continues. "Commander Ikari went through the documents he found about the Crimson Angels and found out that one of the human-form Crimson Angels will arrive soon."

Misato frowns, glancing briefly at the pilot before replying. "Is that why the pilots can't leave?" Ritsuko nods, "That figures…could have told the pilots rather than keep them in the dark."

"It's more complicated than that, Misato." Ritsuko mutters, "The part of the document Ikari found it had the possibility of two outcomes. Either he'll descend from the sky and kill us all or challenge Unit 01 to single combat."

Misato becomes silent, watching Shinji, Asuka and Hikari reach their floor and get off the side elevator before walking to the other pilots. "…Both outcomes sound bad. Shinji has become better at piloting but…I don't think he can win in a one on one fight with a human-form Crimson Angel." She sighs, "What can we do?"

"We hope Shinji can win if it comes down to a one on one fight." Ritsuko replies softly.

* * *

Chivalt appears out of nowhere on top of a hill in Western Europe, looking at an unknown castle ruins. "…At least it wasn't completely destroyed back then…and it's studied by archeologists." He sighs sadly, looking at the sky briefly before noticing the Moon out, almost about to set in the west. "…It's time to begin…Loriana…" He vanishes.

* * *

The Command Center was quiet as noon slowly approaches. Commanders Ikari and Fuyutsuki are both present, the former waiting for the Crimson Angel to appear. Misato frowns; glancing constantly at the main viewer for any sign of a Crimson Angel, human-form or otherwise. Ritsuko is also present, as are the trio of technicians (Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba). Suddenly, just as the clock turns from 11:59 to 12:00, the silence is broken by the sounds of alarms.

Maya looks sharply at Doctor Akagi, "Crimson Waveform pattern detected! It matches the same type as the human-form Crimson Angels."

Hyuga frowns, "Yeah, but there's something off about it. It seems more…like an AT Field pattern similar to a normal human's AT Field pattern, which is Golden on color."

Misato's face becomes bleak, glancing constantly at the screen as nothing appears. "Where is it?" she demanded, looking at Hyuga.

"I'm right here."

A black cloaked, hooded figure appears out of nowhere in the center of the central command center. The figure hovers at eye level between the floor Commander Ikari is on and the floor Misato is on, directly over the emptiness below him. Misato quickly pulls out her pistol, turning the safety off as she does, and fires her whole round of bullets at the figure. The bullets don't even get close to hitting him as he projects an AT Field and blocks them.

"That's an interesting greeting, Major Katsuragi." Chivalt notes calmly, pulling the hood off and revealing his human face. His eyes are still the same color they were earlier, a crystal clear blue. "However, I'm not here to fight you." He rises up into the air and stares at Gendo Ikari. "You know why I'm here, Ikari. Fetch your son so he may make his choice."

Commander Ikari glares at the figure for being ordered like that. "Major Katsuragi, fetch the Third Child." He orders, glancing at Misato.

"R-Right." Misato replies, rushing from the room to search for Shinji.

* * *

Misato manages to intercept Shinji halfway to the Eva Cages with Asuka running beside him. "Shinji, wait!" Her voice causes both children to stop as they turn around to face their guardian. "Commander Ikari wants you to report to the control room."

"What the hell does that bastard want?" Asuka demanded, "We have a Crimson Angel nearby and-"

"The Crimson Angel is in the main command center." Shinji and Asuka both gasp, wondering how the hell it got in Nerv so easily. "Now, follow me." She runs back to the command center with Shinji and Asuka behind her.

As Misato and the pilots enter the control room, they all notice a number of things. The first is that the cloaked figure is now sitting in a black chair, the same chair he uses in the Crimson Angel meeting room. Another note was that Rei was now also present, staring at the figure intently. "…I'd have to say, First Child, that I no longer sense half of Lilith's soul inside of you. I wonder where your half went to…and what soul is in your body now."

Rei, surprisingly, glares at the figure. "Lilith's soul is now entire and whole inside Unit 00…and the soul I possess is my own."

"…Ah, perfect time." Chivalt states calmly, noticing Shinji entering the room and running to a stop next to Rei with Asuka at his side. His chair floats down to the halfway point between the floor Gendo Ikari is on and the one his son is on, staring at Shinji and the other children with him. "So, you're the Savior of Humanity. I have to say, you don't look the part."

Shinji blinks, remembering Centuron, the 3rd Crimson Angel, said something similar. "Who are you?" he asks.

"Chivalt, the Crimson Knight." He replies calmly. "And, if you haven't guessed by now, one of the human-form Crimson Angels."

Asuka glares angrily at him. "You actually have the nerve to come here and strike up a conversation? Don't screw with us!"

Chivalt smiles faintly, "Calm down, I'm not in the mood to get into an argument. I've only come here to deliver my challenge."

"Then we'll accept it AND kick your sorry ass!" Asuka retorts.

Chivalt removes his gauntlet and throws it down, landing in front of Shinji. "Shinji Ikari, I hereby challenge you to a duel. Single combat with no outside help…except, of course, for your Eva Unit and any weapon your Eva uses." He notices Shinji's hesitation and continues. "How about I make things interesting?" Chivalt says calmly. "If I win, I get Unit 01 without a fight from the others. If your win, I'll tell you anything about the Crimson Angels you'd like to know. Do you accept the challenge?"

"Why the hell should he?" Asuka demanded, "You guys have done nothing but send your lackeys to fight us because you don't want to get your hands dirty."

Shinji hesitates, glancing at Misato, his fellow pilots, and his father. 'What should I do…?'

"It's your choice, Shinji." Misato tells him calmly. "You can decline if you wish. We won't force you to accept."

Shinji becomes absolutely silent before bending down and picking up the gauntlet. "I accept your challenge."

Asuka stares at Shinji with amazement on her face. "Shinji, are you crazy? Sure, we could use the info on the Crimson Angels but…I don't think you can win."

Chivalt smiles at Shinji, nodding his head as the gauntlet disappears and reappears on his right hand. "Excellent. This Sunday at noon seems like a good time, as you don't have school so, until then, farewell." The Crimson Angel, as well as his chair, vanishes.

The control room was silent for a whole minute until Shinji broke the silence. "Okay, so can we go home now?" he asked his father.

Commander Ikari hides his surprise, replying in a calm voice. "Correct. You and the other pilots may now leave."

"Thank you." Shinji replies softly, turning towards the door and exiting the room at a calm walk. Asuka just stares at Shinji as he leaves before following him at a run. Rei doesn't make any reaction until both Shinji and Asuka leave the room. She smiles and walks out of the room after the two pilots.

Misato turned towards Commander Ikari after the three children leave the room. "Did Shinji make the correct choice?"

Commander Ikari notices stares directed at him but ignores them, glancing calmly at Misato before replying in a monotone voice. "We won't find out until this is all over."

* * *

"Shinji!" Asuka calls out. "Wait up!" Her voice causes Shinji to stop walking and turn around to face the redhead. She catches up to him, catching her breath from running before continuing. "Are you crazy? We'd have a better chance beating the Crimson Angel if we all worked together in a fight against him!"

Shinji sighs, "I know that, Asuka…but this is my choice. I thought about declining but…it just seemed right to accept the challenge." He notices Asuka's expression and continues. "I'm sorry."

Before Asuka can retort, Rei speaks first, having caught up to the pilots. "It is his choice, Asuka, and you're disgracing it by constantly protesting against it."

"What do you know, Rei?" Asuka snapped, "Even you should know this choice is suicidal! He can't win in a one on one fight against that human-form Crimson Angel!"

The sound of a slap reverberates through the hallway, causing both Asuka and Shinji's expressions to become shocked as the former puts her right hand on her cheek, staring at the person who slapped her. It was Rei! "You should have more faith in Shinji. He's constantly prevailed over impossible odds…and he'll do so again."

Asuka remains silent as she drops her hand. "…I do have faith in Shinji." She mutters softly, her anger overcome by shock. "What I don't like is why he has to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders all the time…" She doesn't wait for an answer as she rushes down the hallway, away from the First and Third Child.

Shinji is speechless at what just happened. "Shinji, go after her." He blinks at Rei, unsure what she meant. "Just because Asuka left doesn't mean you have to leave her alone…now go."

"R-Right." Shinji replies, running after Asuka as Rei smiles and looks after his retreating figure before turning around and heading back to the control room.

* * *

A/N: This location is in the Manga Version only.

Asuka stares into the water near the small plaza, her back against a pillar as she sits there with her knees against her chest. 'How could I let Rei get to me like that?' She sighed, noticing Shinji sitting down next to her from the corner of her eye.

"I'm sorry Asuka."

Asuka almost laughs at that statement but is able to suppress her laughter. "You don't need to apologize…I know it was your choice but it isn't fair that you have to continuously have the fate of the world and humanity on your shoulders. You never asked for this or deserve to be stuck with this burden."

Shinji nods, "I know, but it's the right thing to do." He pauses, smiling faintly. "Its better that the fate of the world is on my shoulders rather than on everyone else's."

Asuka smiles at him and, hesitantly, kisses him on the cheek. Both of them blush at that kiss. "Shinji…you better win against that guy and…just to make you have a little motivation…" She was stunned at her own daring as she kisses Shinji on the lips. It wasn't a quick peck or just to kill time, but a real kiss. "…We all believe in you, Shinji. If you lose, I won't forgive you. Got it?" Her face was the color of an apple from kissing Shinji like that and, rather than say 'I love you' then and there, she decides to tell him after he wins.

Shinji's face was no less red as he replies hesitantly, "R-Right…I won't lose, no matter what."

Asuka smiles at him before standing up. "Good, now let's at whine to Misato until she takes us home so you can cook dinner. The food here sucks."

Shinji nods, "Okay, Asuka." He replies in a soft voice, following her back to the command center at a walk, lost in thought.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, but I'll have to end the chapter at this point. I can't really do much more due to writers block so…meh. Anyways, I personally liked the little Asuka/Shinji moment. See you next time!

Read and Review!


	24. The Duel

A/N: I've decided to post two chapter at the same time for the season finale (sort of…) Anyways, let's get on track and begin the fight against Chivalt.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

Even thought Shinji was confident about his skills in battle when fighting, he couldn't help but be nervous as the day slowly approached when he would face the human-form Crimson Angel, Chivalt. When the Sun dawned on the day of battle, his nervousness increased, causing him to almost burn breakfast. "Hey, don't burn breakfast, you idiot!" Asuka shouted from the living room, her voice not filled with the usual anger she normally had towards Shinji.

Shinji smiled to himself, remembering the kiss Asuka gave him five days ago before they both complained constantly to Misato until she finally agreed to drive them home, even though she wanted to have the pilots do another simulation battle against another previous Angel.

Shinji hears footsteps and felt two slim arms wrap around his chest from behind, nearly causing him to flip the pancakes he was cooking out of the pan with his spatula. He blushes, realizing that it was Asuka behind him. "Hi Shinji…When will the pancakes be ready?" she asked curiously, looking past his shoulder and at them.

"Oh, they'll be ready in a few minutes." Shinji replies quickly, trying to hide his embarrassment at how close she was to him. That was another thing he noticed after that kiss Asuka gave him. When they were alone, Asuka almost seemed to bring down all of her barriers she put up to hide her true feelings, acting nice and friendly rather than short-tempered. Shinji knew why she didn't act like that all the time. It was because she was afraid of being seen as weak by others.

Asuka smiles before pulling away from him and getting the plates out from the cabinet, planning to set the table for breakfast. Within half of a minute, she finished setting the table, remembering to have the utensils like forks and knives out as well as glasses of orange juice, even for Misato. Asuka knew their guardian would just drink a canned beer instead, but it was the thought that counts. "Hey! Come and get it!" the redhead calls out into the hallway, hearing the TV being shut off. Rei slowly walks into the kitchen and sits down in the seat across from Shinji. Asuka also sits down, on Rei's left as Shinji puts three pancakes on each plate before sitting next to Asuka.

Misato, fully dressed in her Nerv uniform, walks calmly out of her room and sits at the table across from Asuka. Her face was weary but, rather than drink a beer, she actually just drank the orange juice in front of her. Needless to say, all the pilots sitting at the table, even Rei, were startled at this break of their guardians' usual routine.

"Okay, did the world just end or are you not drinking beer to start the day?" Asuka asked bluntly, her expression still faintly surprised.

Misato snorts slightly, "I didn't get much sleep last night…and I'll need a clear head today, considering it's the day of the duel." No one at the table responds to this statement, which reminded them that today was the day they had to fight, or rather, Shinji had to fight.

"The Crimson Angel will get his ass kicked by Shinji." Asuka states firmly, breaking the silence that hung over the table. "So why worry about it, Misato?"

Misato chuckles softly and the tension at the table decreases. "I'm surprised at you. I never thought you'd claim the Shinji is better than you in Eva."

"I didn't say that. I just said he'd win against a weakling like that." She smirks, "After all, even I could beat that loser of a Crimson Angel." Asuka glances at Shinji briefly, nodding to him as if not being serious about her statement.

Rei watches the behavior of Shinji and Asuka curiously before speaking to Misato. "When will we head to Nerv HQ?"

"After breakfast is over…no point in staying here…unless you still have school work to catch up on." Misato glances at the three children.

Asuka snorts, "We already finished catching up on the work we missed so don't worry about it." Actually, with her working together with Shinji on the work, they finished it faster than she thought they could when working together.

It wasn't long until they all finished breakfast. Asuka stood up and collected the plates and utensils while Shinji picks up the empty glasses, faintly surprised Asuka was helping him with the dishes. "You can save doing those until after the battle, Shinji." Misato comments airily, smiling faintly at the scene. "We should head to Nerv soon. Ritsuko will probably want to do a sync test today."

"Oh, okay." Shinji replies as he runs some hot water on the plates, glasses, and silverware before turning it off, putting them in the sink to finish cleaning later. "Thanks for the help Asuka."

Asuka shrugs, remembering they weren't alone at the time. "Not a problem, Shinji. I have nothing better to do until Misato gets off her lazy ass to drive us to Nerv." She states sweetly, obviously trying to bait Misato into a retort.

Misato chuckles, "Well, we can head out now. Come on." She stands up, pushing her chair in and starts walking to the door. The other pilots hasten to follow her.

* * *

"Are you nervous Shinji?" Ritsuko asks calmly, glancing at the sync scores for the pilots.

Shinji nods, "A little bit." He replies. Shinji noticed this nervousness during the war against the Angels as well. He still didn't like fighting, but he couldn't stand just waiting for the battle to begin.

"How is he today?" Misato asks curiously, glancing at the scores for all the pilots.

Rei: 91

Asuka: 95

Shinji: 94

Toji: 84

Patrick: 78

Kensuke: 83

Sarah: 79

Hikari: 79

"…I'll be damned. Asuka actually surpassed Shinji's score…I didn't think it was possible." Misato mutters.

"It doesn't help the situation…considering he went down two points and he needs to be at his best today." Ritsuko notes calmly, glancing at the clock. "Looks like we have fifteen minutes until its time."

"Really?" Misato glances at the clock before sighing. "Oh well, I was hoping it would take longer to get this late." She opens communications with the pilots. "Okay, everyone suit up and get ready."

Ritsuko frowns at Misato. "I thought this was going to be a one on one fight."

"This is just in case Shinji loses." Misato states bleakly, "I'm not just going to let them take Shinji or Unit 01 without a fight. Screw the agreement."

Ritsuko smiles faintly. "I see…well, we'd best head to the main command center." She begins to walk towards the door.

"Right." Misato replies, following behind Ritsuko.

* * *

The moment Ritsuko and Misato enter the command center, alarms start going off. Their slow pace became a run as they got into their normal stations. "Crimson Angel detected! It's the same one as before." Hyuga reports.

"Right on time…Launch Unit 01 and keep the others on standby." Misato orders, glancing at the main viewer. The Crimson Angel is hovering over the center of the city in his chair, hood drawn back as he waits for Unit 01. She frowns, "How does it plan to fight? I mean, sure, some of them have strange abilities, but Kaworu used Unit 02 to fight Unit 01 before Third Impact."

"…We'll find out soon enough. Unit 01 just reached the surface." Ritsuko points out, staring intently at the main viewer.

* * *

Shinji stares at Chivalt, moving his Eva forward and opening a nearby weapons cache before pulling out a Prog Sword. Chivalt stands up, his throne vanishing into thin air as he throws his cloak off, revealing his black colored medieval age armor. Smiling, he draws his sword with his right hand and swings it to his side, causing a nearby building to be cut in half. "I'm glad you actually decided to fight me in a fair, one on one fight." Chivalt states calmly.

Shinji nods, remembering Centuron's words and deciding to ask Chivalt about them. "You said the same thing Centuron did about me when I fought him…are you the person he was talking about?"

Chivalt smiles, "Yes I am…he was my squire when I was still a normal human." He replies approvingly, "He admired me a great deal…which is why he followed me in joining the ranks of the Crimson Angels…even though I wished he hadn't."

Shinji becomes quiet, "I didn't know that you were once a human being…"

"You learn something new every day, Shinji Ikari." Chivalt notes, staring calmly at Unit 01. "It may be difficult for you to fight me in this form…and I'd prefer fighting you at full power so…get ready." Suddenly, a blood red aura surrounds Chivalt, spreading out from his body and starting to take a solid form.

* * *

"The Crimson Angel's AT Field shifted to a Black Waveform pattern!" Maya reports.

"What?" Ritsuko demanded, rushing over to check for herself. "Impossible…"

* * *

Shinji tightens his grip on the Prog Sword his Eva is wielding, nervously watching the red aura darkens to black and expands to about the same size as his own Eva Unit. When the darkness solidifies, it reveals a large medieval style armored figure. The sword Chivalt was wielding has changed dramatically, the blade curved slightly at the tip and the guard becoming spikes that pointed upwards toward the blade. The armor completely covers the Crimson Angel, no skin or face, except a pair of blood red eyes, are visible. The armor itself is black as night with red designs and signs in the trim.

"Get ready, Shinji Ikari." Chivalt's voice sounded slightly demonic, causing chills to go down Shinji's spine. "Because I won't hold back." The target drops to the ground, charging at Unit 01, and slashing his sword diagonally down at Shinji.

Shinji reflexively uses his sword to block it but is blasted back by the shockwave of the attack, which causing the glass in the nearby buildings to shatter. 'Damn…he's so strong…' He thinks to himself, pressing his feet into the ground as his Eva's knees bend, trying to brace himself as he slows down. The second he stops being pushed back by the shockwave of the attack, he jumps off the ground and into the air. 'Take this!' Unit 01 swings his Prog Sword down at Chivalt, but he raises his sword and blocks that downward slash.

"Stop holding back, Ikari." Chivalt growls out before swinging his sword and knocking Unit 01 back into the air before Shinji crashes into a building. Chivalt slowly walks towards Unit 01, his sword at his side. "Get serious or I'll kill you."

Shinji closes his eyes, focusing his memories on the moment he first reached 300 sync. "…I won't lose to you, Chivalt."

* * *

"Shinji's sync just jumped up to 300!" Maya reports.

Misato nods, watching two diamond-shaped AT Field wings grow out of Unit 01's back. 'Even Asuka couldn't make Varian flinch with a sync ratio of 400…but this guy is likely weaker than him.'

"Should we send up the last Lance copy?" Doctor Akagi asks Commander Ikari.

"No. It is not necessary to take that course of action yet." He replies calmly.

* * *

"You can reach a sync of 300 consciously…excellent." Chivalt compliments Shinji, getting into a defensive posture. "However, that won't be enough to beat me…no matter how hard you try." Unit 01 flies straight at Chivalt, its wings cutting through the buildings it passes by. Shinji charges his Eva's AT Field into the sword before slashing down diagonally at the Crimson Angel, who also charges his own AT Field into his blade and parries the slash with relative ease. "Not good enough, Ikari!" he roars, punching Unit 01 in the chest with an AT Field charged left punch, blasting the Eva back.

Shinji starts breathing heavily, having trouble at this point. It wasn't that being at this level of sync was exhausting, but he was never damaged at this level of sync before, causing sharp, stabbing pains to run through his body. There was also something else he felt, but he could identify it exactly.

"Darling…the time has finally come." Yui Ikari's voice echoes in the entry plug, causing Shinji to look around for the source of the voice. "Eva Unit 01 has finally reached its point of awakening…but it will also be a moment when you are most vulnerable. Are you ready?"

Shinji hesitates before nodding. "I'm ready…Mother." Suddenly, Unit 01 deactivates.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Misato demanded angrily, "Why did Unit 01 deactivate?"

Commander Ikari frowns slightly, watching as the AT Field wings vanish. "…Don't send any of the other Eva Units out, Major Katsuragi." He orders firmly.

"But-" Misato protests before becoming silent.

"Unit 01 has reactivated!" Hyuga shouted, "Shinji's synchronization has reached 500!"

"Impossible!" Ritsuko exclaims, looking back at the main screen.

* * *

Unit 01 is surrounded by a golden aura as it slowly rises into the air. Chivalt smiles to himself, "At last…Unit 01's awakening." He states softly, having the perfect opportunity to attack the Eva but deciding not to take it. The aura spreads out, the shoulder holsters on Unit 01 shattering as a golden cross forms on the Eva's back, the arms and legs in the same position as if he is pinned on that very cross. Suddenly, the cross breaks in half vertically, the bottom shortening in length as the top and bottom slowly bend horizontally. Shortly after they finish bending, they shift shape until each of the six points becomes diamond-shaped.

Eva Unit 01 is still surrounded by that golden aura, now in possession of six AT Field wings. It slowly lowers to the ground, but Chivalt still makes no move against the Eva or Pilot. Shinji slowly opens his eyes, staring calmly at the Crimson Angel. His eyes were no different in color or shape than before but…it almost seemed like there was something more in those eyes…something that wasn't there before. "…Why didn't you attack me while my Eva Unit awakened?" he asks the Crimson Angel.

"Simple…I wanted to fight you at full strength…and to see if humanity still has a chance of survival." He readies his sword, his posture offensive in nature. "Get ready." He charges straight at Shinji, slashing his sword horizontally at Shinji, who just blocks it with a Prog Sword with the same ease Chivalt did earlier. Shinji knocks the sword away, leaving Chivalt open as he follows through with the attack.

Unit 01 thrusts the blade at Chivalt, who sidesteps to evades before attempting to kick Shinji back. Shinji jumps over the kick and slashes down at Chivalt from above before landing behind him, slashing his sword at Chivalt's back as he turns. Chivalt parries the slash before turning around and deflecting the second sword slash just in time. Both of them jump back before charging at each other, each channeling their AT Field into their sword before slashing, the impact of the clashing blades shattering the nearby buildings into rubble.

Chivalt openly laughs, jumping back out of range of Unit 01 as he channels his AT Field into his sword. "I haven't had this much fun in centuries. So as thanks, I'll show you the source of power for the human-form Crimson Angels…their weapon." His sword blade glows blood red in color before he slashes out at Shinji, who immediately ducks underneath the slash aimed at him from so far away.

Shinji turns around, nearly gasping at the large cut through all the building above the level that Chivalt slashed. Worse yet, it continued the cut into the nearby hilltops before stopping. Anything cut that lost its support crumbles on top of the buildings below it, causing the destruction of fifteen whole city blocks. "Holy shit…" he mutters softly, amazed at that amount of destruction before turning back towards Chivalt.

"Wise choice in dodging, Shinji Ikari. Had you not dodged or used your AT Field to block the attack, you would be dead right now." Chivalt swings his sword to his side, looking curiously at the Third Child. "You're a strange boy, Ikari…As you remind me of myself when I was younger. I disliked fighting…until I found a reason to fight."

Unit 01 stands up, staring at the Crimson Angel. "Why did you join the Crimson Angels? Why did you give up your humanity?" Shinji asks softly, looking sadly at Chivalt.

Chivalt sighs, gripping his sword tighter. "I fought for the sake of my Princess, who I loved with all my heart and soul. She felt the same way about me…but then, she was tortured and raped in front of me by another kingdom's army before they killed her, while I stood helpless to stop it. I wanted revenge…and my beloved back…you can understand that, can't you?"

Shinji hesitates, remembering his father's words when he explained his reason for what he was doing before Third Impact. "…I can…but I don't think your Princess would have wanted you to do this." He replies calmly.

"Yeah…but at the moment…I wanted vengeance so much…that's when he appeared in front of me." Chivalt growls, "Varian said he would give me power and eventually resurrect my beloved. I sided with him and, because of my strong will, maintained a human form while the Crimson Angel inhabited my body." He readies his sword, preparing to charge at Unit 01. "However, the past has nothing to do with this battle. I wanted to fight you at full power…and give humanity a chance for survival by helping you awaken Unit 01."

Shinji looks sadly at Chivalt, readying his blade. "…Why do we have to fight then?" Needless to say, that story really got to Shinji emotionally…because he might have done the same thing if it was Asuka…No, he DID do something similar, which inadvertently caused Third Impact when he summoned the Lance of Longinous back to Earth.

"Ikari, I told you my story in order for you to understand WHY I'm fighting. Now, fight for the sake of the people you love, and I will fight for Loriana." Chivalt charges at Unit 01 and slashes down at him, forcing Shinji to block the attack with his own sword. "You know so little about the strength of the human-form Crimson Angels. The weapons we wield are the original ones they possessed before First Impact."

Shinji jumps back before flying at Chivalt, slashing at his legs. Chivalt jumps over the attack and slashes down at the passing Eva but has his sword deflected by Unit 01's blade. Unit 01 pushes on the ground, flipping higher into the air before hovering before turning around to face Chivalt. Both Unit 01 and Chivalt channel their AT Fields into their swords before slashing at the other, both firing energy slashes, canceling each other out.

Chivalt's eyes widen in amazement. 'He saw me do that move once and managed to copy it flawlessly…amazing.' He smirks to himself, jumping into the air before slashing down at Shinji. Unit 01 easily blocks the sword but Chivalt kicks him in the chest, blasting him at the ground. Shinji uses his arm to back-flip on the ground before impact, landing on his feet and skidding on it before slowly to a stop.

Shinji notices Chivalt land in front of him and dashes at him. The Crimson Angel does the same, slashing at Unit 01 while Shinji does the same to Chivalt.

* * *

"Those two are amazing…I can't even record Unit 01's movements because they're so fast!" Hyuga says with amazement in his voice, watching Unit 01 and Chivalt rapidly slash at each other, their movements almost like a blur. The rest of the command center is in awe at the battle in front of them. Even Commander Ikari is impressed at Unit 01's skill and power.

Asuka watches the battle from her Eva. 'Don't lose, Shinji…I believe in you…No, we all believe in you.'

* * *

Both of them slash one last time, putting all their power and strength into this last attack. The shockwave from the clashing blades levels the buildings and the ground in a 25 meter radius. Suddenly, a sword flies into the air, stabbing into a building 30 meters away. Chivalt smiles at Unit 01, "Good fight…Shinji Ikari." He collapses onto his back, staring at Unit 01 as its Prog Sword point reaches his neck. "You've won…and gained information about the Crimson Angels…you can kill me if you wish."

"Kill him, Shinji!" Asuka's voice shouted into his Eva, "He's completely open!"

Shinji stares at him before withdrawing his blade. "No…I won't kill you." He states softly, "You're still a human being and…I just won't do it."

Chivalt stares at Shinji with his blood red eyes, slowly turning purple in color. "…I see. You are definitely an odd one, Shinji Ikari. I'm glad to have met you during my life here." He stands up, holding out his hand. His sword vanishes out of the building and reappears in his hand before he sheaths it. "You have honor and decency…something that is a rarity among the Lilim these days."

"I guess so…" Shinji replies softly, frowning at Chivalt. "Won't you get in trouble by not continuing to fight me?"

The Crimson Angel chuckles, his armor's red trim becoming purple in color as his armor's black color shifts to grey. "I've already broken enough rules to have me executed by Varian…or his Master." His voice seems more human now, the chilling demonic voice slowly vanishing.

"Shinji, what are you doing?" Toji demanded, "You had the perfect chance to kill him!"

"That bastard was completely open!" Sarah shouted.

"What do you mean?" Shinji asks softly, ignoring the shouts made by the Eva pilots, demanding why the hell he didn't kill the Crimson Angel.

"Varian is our leader, but he takes orders from our Master, who is sealed in the world of darkness." Chivalt explains, "We needed Unit 01, as well as SEELE's Eva Series, in order to gain the absolute power that Third Impact provided you. That power could be used to lift the seal keeping him in the world of darkness. THAT is the goal of the Crimson Angels."

"How pathetic…" A chilling demonic voice resonates through Tokyo-03, gathering the attention of everyone in Nerv and the two combatants. "Chivalt, your treason will now cost you your life…and the life of everyone in Nerv."

* * *

"AT Field detected! It's the same pattern Lord Varian has!" Hyuga shouts.

Maya gasps, "We're detecting the presence of twelve S2 Cores approaching the city from the north!" She quickly types, getting a visual on screen. "It's the Eva Series!"

"Shit!" Misato swears, opening communications to the Evas. "SEELE and Varian are both here. You're all being launched, so prepare for battle!"

"Damnit Shinji…you should have killed him." Toji mutters darkly, a statement in which both Kensuke and Sarah agree to.

"It was his choice…" Asuka sighs, "But I don't think that guy is behind this attack by SEELE."

* * *

"VARIAN!" Chivalt roars, glaring at a cloaked figure that appeared out of nowhere on top of a nearby building, a smirk visible from under the cloak. "How DARE you interfere!"

"You dare to betray us openly?" Varian demanded flatly, glaring with blood red eyes down at Chivalt as twelve Eva carriers are seen in the distance behind him. As the Eva carriers gets closer, twelve figures are released and spread their wings, showing the fact they are SEELE's Eva Series Units. "Very well, feel my wrath and that of the Eva Series…but you'll never get the chance to fight them…now burn in the fires of Hell for all eternity." He points his hand out at Chivalt, the sixes on the back of his hand glowing blood red.

Chivalt smirks to himself, just standing there with amusement as nothing happens. "Sorry Varian, not feeling anything. Looks like your Master's power isn't as absolute as you thought."

"Impossible!" Varian snaps, "As long as the Crimson Angel is still loyal to our Master, you should be set ablaze when-" His eyes widen in shock.

"That's right, Varian. Neither myself or the Crimson Angel are loyal to you anymore…" Chivalt points out smugly, drawing his sword and pointing it at Varian. "So, will you face both myself and Unit 01?"

Varian becomes silent, glaring at Chivalt briefly before sighing. "Pity…however, this won't change the outcome. I was hoping to avoid dealing with you at the moment but…at least you awoke Unit 01 like I hoped you would."

Chivalt snarls, charging at and slashing down at Varian with an AT Field charged sword blade. Lord Varian just sidesteps the attack easily as the sword cuts the building in half vertically, smart enough not to just try and block it. "You USED me?"

"How perceptive…" He states calmly before blocking an AT Field charged punch from his right with his own AT Field, the impact causing the building he is standing on to be blasted apart by the shockwave. "…I was speaking at the moment, Shinji Ikari. You should be more considerate." He states mockingly as he turns to face Eva Unit 01, now floating in the air.

"Die aschloch!" Asuka's voice shouts as she slams her Heavy Prog Sword down at Varian, but he disappears into thin air, reappearing at the edge of the city with the Eva Series Units landing behind him, all of them pulling our their Lance copies. Asuka's sword slams into the rubble of the building after missing her target before she raises it again, turning to face Varian and the Eva Series.

"It seems we'll have to do this the hard way." Lord Varian mutters, glaring at the other Eva Units as they approach, fully armed and ready for battle. "Now, with Eva Unit 01 awakened fully, we can begin the next part of the plan. First, however, I'll dispose of your friends so they don't interfere." He begins to float up into the air and away from the coming battle.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY, VARIAN!" Chivalt roars, cutting though two Eva Series Units that moved to block him, destroying their S2 Engines before charging after Lord Varian. Shinji is about to go after Varian too, but he suddenly clutches his chest, pain surging through his body as he tries to hold on to the amount of power his Eva has right now. The strain becomes too much for Shinji and he lets his sync drop to 300, unable to keep up that high level synchronization any longer. His two upper and lower wings shatter, now only in possession of two diamond-shaped AT Field wings.

* * *

"The strain on Shinji's body is becoming too much for his body!" Hyuga shouts, "If this continues, he could die from it!"

Misato's expression becomes bleak. "Cut the nerve connections!"

"We can't! The Eva won't respond to our commands!" Aoba reports bleakly, monitoring the Third Child's life signs. "Shinji won't let us stop him!"

Misato opens communications with Unit 02. "Asuka, knock him out."

"…Okay, Misato…" Asuka replies with a sigh.

* * *

Unit 02 turns to Unit 01 sadly before hitting him in of back of the neck, effectively knocking him out. "Sorry Shinji…" Asuka mutters apologetically, "But you'll end up killing yourself at this rate." Unit 01's AT Field wings vanish and is about to collapse onto the ground, but Unit 02 supports him by putting his left arm around her shoulder and her right arm around his waist. "I'll take Shinji back to the Eva Elevator. I'll be back in a minute." She says sadly to the other Eva pilots before helping Unit 01 away.

The remaining ten Eva Series Units surround the Evas from Nerv, cutting off any escape route. Units 00 fires at one of the Evas in front of Unit 02 with a positron rifle while Unit 05 attacks the other Eva Series Unit with his machine gun. Both Evas hit are knocked down or out of the way. "Get in a defensive position around Shinji!" Misato orders sharply.

Units 03 and 07 follow Asuka, planning to fight any Eva Series Units if they pursue them. Units 00, 04, 05, and 06 stay behind, beginning to fight against six of the Eva Series Units as the remaining four pursue Unit 01. Toji notices this and readies his Prog Axe, turning around to face the coming Evas. "Go, Asuka. I'll stall until you get back."

"Don't be an idiot, Toji." Hikari replies before walking up next to Unit 03, an Eva-sized shield in its left hand while wielding a Prog Spear in its right. "I'm helping you too."

Asuka smiles before dragging Unit 01 fifteen more meters and reaching the Eva Elevator. "Okay Misato. Unit 01 is at the Elevator, send him down."

"Right…now get back out there and help rip those Eva Series Units apart." Misato orders, an order which Asuka nods to before turning around to face to four Evas fight against Toji and Hikari. 'Stay safe, Shinji…this will be over in a minute.' She focuses herself, two AT Field wings forming on her back as her synchronization reaches 300. "Bring it on, SEELE!" She snaps as her Eva roars before charging back into the fight.

* * *

A/N: Plot twists ahoy, huh? My idea was to put together the Eva Series fight with Varian's appearance during Chivalt and Shinji's fight. Anyways, this is part one of the season finale. Hope you enjoyed it!

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	25. A Knight's Honor

A/N: Like I said in the previous chapter, this is part two of the season finale. Now, in a twist, Varian and the Eva Series have arrived. Can our Heroes win this time?

Disclaimer: I don't and won't ever own anything Neon Genesis Evangelion, related or otherwise.

A/A/N: This contains slightly mature material. You have been warned.

* * *

"…I can't believe Chivalt…no, Sir Eran, actually managed to reach that level of power." Morlina mutters darkly, watching on a hologram in the Crimson Angel meeting room, both Darvin and Shalock present as well.

"He's reached a level none but Varian could achieve. Complete mastery and control of a Crimson Angel's abilities and powers without any friction between the two separate beings inside that body." Darvin notes calmly, frowning slightly.

"Should we help then?" Shalock asks curiously, playing with Chivalt's spare knife, which he left behind in the room where his chair once stood.

"No. Varian told us not to interfere…they know about the powers that three of us wield…let's not give them any more information than they already have." Darvin states firmly, watching Varian stopping in the air, facing Chivalt as he approaches. "Besides, he still has his newest weapon he can use against the traitor."

* * *

The skies become filled with dark, ominous clouds as Lord Varian stares calmly at approaching Chivalt. "Ah…good thing I decided to wait this long until showing up. Facing you at your full power while completely synchronized with the Crimson Angel might have made you a match for me in power." Varian notes calmly, snapping his fingers. Four pillars of darkness shoot up into the sky, the darkness spreading to the others and creating a large black box around the both of them.

* * *

"We're detecting a massive AT Field outside of Tokyo-03!" Hyuga shouts, "It's blocking out our scanners! We can't detect either of the Crimson Angels!"

Misato's eyes narrow, 'What's going on?' she wonders to herself.

* * *

"The Dark Arena Pillars…" Chivalt mutters, glancing at the black walls surrounding the two of them from the sides and above. "What are you trying to pull, Varian?"

Lord Varian chuckles before opening a massive portal of darkness behind him. "I'd prefer Nerv not detect what I'm about to use against you. After all, there is no need for me to fight you personally…"

A large Eva Unit, taller than Chivalt by ten meters, walks out of the portal. The armor is blood red, has two arms and legs, each limb having claws at the end. The Eva possesses three red eyes and a single horn on its head. On its back is a pair of black metal wings, a metal tail, and is armed with a multitude of weapons systems in various places on the Unit's body.

"Heh, you made an Eva in your Master's form. How cliché, Varian." Chivalt snorts with amusement, readying his blade. "Okay, I'll turn your toy into scrap before I kill you myself."

"Don't be a fool, Chivalt. This Eva was made from Crimson Angel DNA…our Master's DNA." He smirks, watching Chivalt's eyes become filled with a hint of fear as he backs away. "That's right. It is equivalent to His power, slightly unrefined but enough to match you in terms of strength."

"…Heh, so what if it's powerful? I'll tear both of you apart!" Chivalt roars before charging at the Eva, his thoughts trailing off before speaking telepathically to Shinji. 'Sorry kid, but it looks like I won't be alive to see you save the world or kill this bastard…'

* * *

Shinji wakes up sharply, clutching the back of his head in pain before realizing that his Eva is going down the elevator and back to the Cages. "M-Misato…" He mutters softly, opening communications to the Nerv Command Center. "Send me…back up…"

"No Shinji. You aren't in any condition to even move right now." Misato states firmly, "They can handle SEELE on their own, so trust them."

"I'm not…worried about them…" Shinji mutters weakly, forcing his Eva to reactivate at his normal sync. "But…Varian will kill…Chivalt for helping us…"

"Shinji, that thing was a Crimson Angel. They are our enemies-"

"So you're saying that I should let him die?" Shinji snapped angrily, "He is still a person…the same as Kaworu was!"

Misato becomes deathly quiet. "…Shinji, go into Terminal Dogma and bring up the Lance copy." Commander Ikari orders.

"Commander, what are you-" Misato demanded before he cuts her off.

"He has made up his mind…and the Lance copy is the only weapon we possess that can counter Lord Varian's AT Field." Ikari states coldly. "Proceed."

"Right." Shinji replies weakly as the elevator stops at the access to the main shaft. Shinji felt very weak as he slowly walked out of the Elevator, closing his eyes. 'Mother…please give me strength…'

Yui Ikari's voice is disapproving. 'Shinji…you're exhausted…please stop this. You can't save Chivalt from his fate.'

'I have to try…please Mother…'

Yui sighs sadly, 'Very well…but I'm not letting you go higher than 100 sync or you might die.' Shinji feels his exhaustion fading as Unit 01 enters the main shaft and steps onto the foothold, slowly lowered to the bottom. After two minutes, he jumps off before landing on his feet in the same body of water he crashed into when fighting Unit 02 during the incident with the last Angel.

Unit 01 starts dashing towards the doorway that Tabris went through in order to reach Lilith before letting himself die by Shinji's hand. As he approaches, a large doorway opens and reveals a room with a large cross, the same one that Lilith was pinned to. There were a few new additions to the room as well. The Lance copy was stabbed into the exact center of the cross. A number of high-tech machines are next to the pool of LCL on the far sides of the room, which is used in the Pilots Entry Plugs.

Unit 01 steps into the LCL, wading over to the Lance before grabbing it with both hands and pulling the copy out. Shinji turns his Eva around, moving it out of the LCL before dashing back to the foothold cable, planning to help Asuka and the others before saving Chivalt. 'Don't worry Asuka…I'm on my way…'

* * *

Hikari deflects a Lance copy thrown at her Eva Unit with the shield, very grateful she had it. Unit 03 dashes up to the fallen Lance, about to pick it up when he is forced to side jump out of way of a Lance thrust aimed at him by another Eva Series Unit. Just as Hikari is about to counterattack with her spear, a red blur flies past her and Toji, cutting down two of the four Eva Series Units with a single swing of its Heavy Prog Sword. It was Unit 02…and its wings were cracked along the center.

"Great attack Asuka!" Hikari states cheerfully, impressed and shocked at the appearance of Unit 02.

"Not bad…I guess…" Toji grumbles, deflecting a Lance swipe from another Eva Series Unit before kicking it in the chest and knocking it back into a building. He slams his Prog Axe down at the Eva Series Unit. It attempts to block with the Lance copy, but Toji cuts through both its Lance and the Eva's S2 Engine, taking it offline. Behind him, the last remaining of the four Eva Series Units slashes the Lance copy it wields down at Unit 03's head. Toji turns around sharply, but not fast enough to counter the attack.

The Eva Series Unit stops moving, a thrown Prog Spear pierced into its S2 Engine. "Wow…I actually did it!" Hikari whispers in amazement.

"Nice throw, Hikari!" Toji shouts, "I owe you one."

Hikari blushes faintly, "Oh, your welcome Toji."

"You two can save that for later…" Asuka mutters, her AT Field Wings separating into two from the crack, reforming into a total of four wings as a golden aura surrounds her Eva. "Let's win this battle now!" She charges back into the battle taking place in the center of the city. Units 03 and 07 run after her, the latter picking her Prog Spear out of the Eva Series Unit she took down as she passed by it.

* * *

Unit 04's armor shifts to a golden color before ducking under a Lance swing and deflecting another with his staff. Unit 00 has discarded her positron rifle, wielding two Prof Knives, one from her shoulder holster while the other (surprisingly enough) came from Unit 04's shoulder holster. She deflects a Lance down into the ground with a Prog Knife, her sync currently 100 as she kicks the Eva Series Unit that attacked before evading a stab aimed at her Eva from another of SEELE's Eva Units.

Units 05 and 06 each hand one opponent rather than two against one, which Patrick and Rei had to deal with. Unit 05's machine gun is broken on the ground, now using a Prog Knife to fight against SEELE's Mass Produced Evangelion. Unit 05 sidesteps a stab made by the Eva Series Unit and grabs onto the Lance copy, planning to rip the weapon out of its hand, but regret it shortly after. Numerous spikes erupt from the Lance shaft, cutting deeply into Unit 05's hand as he pulls away, crying out in pain.

* * *

"The Lance copy damaged Unit 05!" Maya reports, "The Magi theorize that the Lance copies have been made with a program that rejects anyone other than the Eva Series Units."

"What's the status of the pilots?" Misato demanded.

"Rei's at 100 sync, same with Patrick. Kensuke's sync has been dropped slightly in order to numb some of the pain, but he won't be able to use his left hand." Hyuga reports bleakly, "Unit 01 is beginning his ascent to the surface and will be coming out of Gate 5 in the northern section of the city with the Lance copy he has."

"…That's our last remaining Lance…so he better not screw up." Ritsuko mutters, glancing at the sync scores of the pilots. "Asuka's score jumped to 400 again…and Shinji's sync has risen to 100."

* * *

Rei ducks under Lance swipe by a hair, sweeping her leg at the Eva Series Unit and trips it up. She quickly jumps off the ground by her hand, flipping in the air before stabbing one Prog Knife into her target's S2 Engine while the other Prog Knife deflects an incoming stab by the other Eva Series Unit she is facing. Suddenly, a sharp cry of pain causes her attention to be diverted to Unit 05, a Lance going through his chest and barely missing the S2 Engine.

"Kensuke!" Sarah shouted, turning around to assist him but is pierced in her Eva's right shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain before collapsing onto her face. The Eva Series Units fighting the two of them now go after Rei and Patrick without their Lances. Neither of the Evas pinned by the Lance copies move to assist.

Unit 04's pilot became distracted at that point from Sarah's cry of pain but refocused himself, barely ducking under a Lance copy in time. However, he was unable to evade another Lance copy when it stabbed straight into his back. Patrick coughs up blood as his Eva deactivates, remembering that at a sync of 100, all injuries that the Eva got were reflected on the pilot. His chest felt like it was burning.

* * *

"Units 04, 05 and 06 have deactivated!" Hyuga shouts. "The Lance copies still possess the ability to deactivate an Eva in possession with an S2 Engine!"

"What about the Eva's backup power supply?" Misato demanded.

Ritsuko sighs, "I took it out after the S2 Engines were installed since we didn't need them anymore."

Misato glares at her before staring at the main viewer. 'Hurry Asuka…'

* * *

Rei was definitely outnumbered five to one here. Suddenly, she hears a familiar voice. 'Rei, do you wish to live or do you wish to help your friends?'

Rei becomes silent. "I want…to help my friends." She replies softly, looking at the five Eva Series Units closing in around her. "I want to protect them."

'Very well, my daughter…' The voice continued, 'Your body once shared part of my soul but now you possess a soul of your own. Use it to protect the people you care about…'

Rei nods as she feels power flowing through her Evangelion Unit. "Thank you…Lilith."

* * *

"Impossible!" Maya shouted, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. "Rei's synchronization just jumped up to 300!"

Ritsuko's eyes widen in shock. "But that's impossible!"

"Well…these kids tend to do the impossible on a regular basis." Misato mutters, glancing at the main viewer as Unit 00 grows two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on her back.

* * *

Unit 00 discards the Prog Knives it wields and charges straight at the Eva Series Unit in front of her, ripping the Lance copy out of its hands and cutting both the Unit and S2 Engine in half with its own Lance copy. The Lance copy makes no move to reject Unit 00 even though it's not one of SEELE's Evas. Rei charges her Eva's AT Field into the Lance copy and slashes it at the other four Eva Series Units even though they are out of range. Two of them jump up into the air as the other two are cut in half by the center of the chest, also hitting their S2 Engines.

The two remaining Eva Series Units pulls their arms back, planning to throw their Lance copies at Unit 00 from the air. However, they don't get the chance as Unit 02 flies up behind them and cuts both of their heads off as well as their arms. The Eva Series Units drop to the ground, trying to struggle to their feet before Units 03 and 07 pierce their S2 Engines with their Prog Axe and Prog Spear respectively.

"Heh, nice job Rei!" Asuka shouts to her as Eva Unit 02 lands next to her. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Thank you Asuka." Rei replies happily, causing Asuka's jaw to drop. Rei raises an eyebrow curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Wondergirl?" Asuka demanded, still in shock from seeing Rei showing ANY emotions.

"What are you talking about?" Rei asks calmly, "I'm Rei Ayanami, not 'Wondergirl.'"

Asuka becomes silent, her sync dropping to 300 and two of her AT Field Wings shattering. "You know what I meant! You're acting less like a puppet and more like a human being!"

"Really?" Rei asks calmly, looking faintly curious at this. "I was unaware that I was acting human."

"Hey…is that Unit 01?" Toji asks in a confused voice, watching as Unit 01 reaches the surface of the Geofront before dashing to the North, away from the city.

"That idiot!" Asuka snaps angrily before gasping in pain. 'What's going on…?'

'Asuka…you're exhausted.' The redheaded pilot's mother replies softly as Asuka's sync drops to 100 and her Eva's AT Field Wings vanish. 'You can't hold higher than a sync of 100 right now.'

"Great…" Asuka mutters darkly before charging after Unit 01 on foot. Rei watches them leave as her AT Field Wings disappear, exhausted from using them for the first time.

"Let's get Kensuke, Patrick, and Sarah back to Nerv." Toji mutters, tempted to follow Asuka in her pursuit of Shinji but believing that they could take care of themselves.

"Right…" Hikari replies softly, also deciding to stay and help the fallen Eva Units and pilots.

* * *

Chivalt is blasted back into the wall of the Dark Arena Pillar, his breath coming in as gasps of pain as he struggles to stay on his feet, stabbing his sword into the ground and using it as a crutch. "Damn…you…" The Crimson Knight gasps out, glaring at the abomination standing in front of him. The Enemy Eva doesn't have a single scratch on it and now has a black bladed long sword in its right hand.

"How pathetic…had you fled rather than engage me in battle, you might have recovered enough to actually fight and defeat my toy in battle. However, you charged after me recklessly, not caring about your own fate." Lord Varian states mockingly, sitting on the Eva Unit's shoulder. "Now that you're too exhausted to attack or defend yourself right now, how about we have a little chat?"

"Screw you…Varian!" Chivalt roars, stumbling towards Lord Varian and his Eva, slashing his sword down at him but the Eva deflects the sword with ease, knocking it out of Chivalt's hands before kicking the Crimson Angel in the chest. He cries out in pain as he is knocked into the barrier wall again before he collapses onto the ground on his hands and knees.

"There…now that I have your complete attention…" Varian states calmly, hovering down to ground level as he opens a portal of darkness under the Eva he brought with him. The Eva sinks into the dark portal and it closes as Varian reaches the ground. He watches as the form Chivalt has fades away, now resembling his normal human self. "Let's have a chat, shall we Chivalt?" He pauses, "No…I'll call you by your human name, Sir Eran."

Chivalt glares at him angrily, barely able to breath out his retort. "Go…to…hell…"

Lord Varian smiles faintly, "If I recall, you told Ikari that you joined me for power and your beloved resurrected because of an incident where an army attacked the castle and killed everyone, your lover included, while you stood helpless." He smirks, pulling his hood off and revealing his face to Chivalt.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" He roars angrily before trying to stand up, but he coughs up a great deal of blood which causes him to collapse. "You were there?"

"I was more then just there, Sir Knight." Varian states in an amused voice. "I believe I told you that I've used Shalock's helmet a number of times, right?" Chivalt's face suddenly becomes deathly pale. "You got it. I took over your neighboring king's mind and had him order that attack."

Chivalt tries to struggle to his feet again but Varian kicks him in the side, knocking him five meters away and onto his back. Lord Varian puts his hood back over his face as he approaches Chivalt slowly. "Of course…you remember that I was there, masquerading as one of the soldiers who raped her in front of you. I'd have to say…no wonder you fell in love with her. After all, she had an amazing-"

Lord Varian was cut off as a AT Field charged punch hits him square in the chest, knocking him back three feet. "Impossible…" He gasps out, falling to one knee as he glares at Chivalt, surrounded by an aura of bloodlust as blood runs down from his numerous wounds. "You're moving…through sheer willpower?"

Chivalt doesn't reply to this, his eyes now blood red in color as his armor shifts to black again. He roars with hatred in his voice as he charges at Lord Varian. The leader of the Crimson Angels smirks, summoning Chivalt's own sword before stabbing him in the chest with it. His eyes widened as he collapses onto his knees.

"How ironic…killed by your own weapon." Lord Varian states mockingly before pulling the sword out and putting the tip against Chivalt's neck. "Before I kill you, I'll tell you one last thing. You were under the impression I didn't resurrected your beloved Princess Loriana…but you were wrong."

"What…are you…talking about?" Chivalt gasps out, his voice filled with rage.

Varian laughs, "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner. Morlina is Loriana." Chivalt becomes silent, "Just rearrange the letters and replace the 'M' with an 'A' and they have the same name. You did know that when a human that doesn't have any combat abilities is infused with a Crimson Angel with a similar name, correct?"

Chivalt couldn't believe this, tears streaming down his face as he realized he attacked the woman he loved and nearly killed her, even if the Crimson Angel was in control. "You…monster…"

Varian closes his eyes. "Monster? That's all you can think up as your last words? What a pity." He prepares to swing Chivalt's sword before the Lance copy shatters the barrier behind him. Unit 01 charges inside and slams the Lance copy down at Varian. He barely manages to block it with Chivalt's sword, his eyes wide in shock at the appearance of the Third Child. Suddenly, Chivalt's sword vanishes and reappears in its owner's right hand, taking away his only defense. "SHIT!" he screams as the Lance copy slashes down through the both of them.

"Heh…you lose…" Chivalt gasps out as his body begins burning from the feet up, the Lance copy having cut through his heart.

"I don't think so…" Varian stated coldly, the Lance copy suddenly set ablaze by red flames and Shinji is forced to drop it or his hands will be burned. The Lance copy is reduced to ashes as the dust cloud brought up by the attack clears, revealing Varian's hood has fallen off and is staring at Unit 01 with eyes filled with hate. A large demonic claw is skewered next to Varian, who is standing to the right of where he was previously. "You forced me…to use my Master's power and even damaged it…" He glares at the remains of the arm and it is also covered in red flames before burning to ashes.

The entire barrier shatters into fragments and begins to break down, revealing Unit 00 above Varian and about to throw the Lance copy she stole from the Eva Series while Unit 02 is holding her Heavy Prog Sword in both hands, ready to slash it down at Varian. The darkness in the area makes it impossible to see Varian's face clearly before he pulls his hood back up, however. Shinji frowns slightly, feeling that he's seen the outline of the face before, but can't remember where.

"…Very well. Next time we fight, Ikari, you will die." Varian growls before sinking into a dark portal formed under him. Unit 02 slams her sword down at him but is unable to reach Varian in time.

"Heh…more like he's scared…" Chivalt muttered weakly, looking up at Unit 01 as the flames reach his waist. "You're an odd one, Shinji…but I respect you." He lets go of his sword and it begins to float in the air in front of Unit 01, growing in until it's the same size as the Prog Sword Shinji normally uses. "…Take it, Ikari. You'll need it more than I do…and thanks…for trying…to help…"

"I'm sorry…" Shinji mutters softly, "If I got here sooner then-"

Chivalt chuckles, rolling onto his back as the flames consume his arms and chest. "You always…apologize to people even…if it isn't you fault…" He closes his eyes as the flames consume what's left of his body, leaving nothing but ashes.

Shinji couldn't help but pity the Crimson Angel…he fought with Unit 01 in order to awaken it…and even helped, although briefly, against Varian. Unit 01 grabs the hilt of the sword tightly, swinging it to his side. Suddenly, a white light surrounds it and changes its form. When the light vanishes, the sword resembles an Eva-sized single-bladed sword with a cross-shaped hilt that has purple as a primary color with green highlights.

* * *

The main command center was deathly quiet. Everyone, Commander Ikari included, was stunned by the events that just took place. Maya gulps before breaking the silence. "Chivalt, the 9th Crimson Angel, has gone silent…" There were no cheers about this, as they had, in a way, just lost an ally in their fight. "SEELE's Eva Series has also fallen and...The sword Chivalt left behind seems to have been altered by Unit 01's AT Field."

"How is that Lance copy not affecting Rei the same way it affected Unit 05?" Misato finally asked.

"Rei's using her own AT Field to suppress the pain she's feeling right now…" Ritsuko mutters bleakly, pointing to the view screen as Unit 00 drops the Lance copy with blood leaking out of her hand. She opens communications with the pilots. "Everyone…return to the Geofront immediately."

* * *

Shinji sighed as he stared up at the ceiling of the room he was put in after falling unconscious from the strain on his body yesterday. He wasn't injured that much compared the Patrick, who had a lung punctured and barely kept himself alive with his AT Field blocking off the injured areas of his lung so he didn't choke to death from his own blood. Sarah and Kensuke had a few torn muscles, but that was due to their lower sync. Hikari and Toji were both uninjured, much to their dislike because they were the only people without injuries, except Rei and Asuka.

Both the First and Second Child suffered from exhaustion from their high syncs, but that wasn't technically an injury. Shinji was told after he woke up an hour ago that his entire body nearly shut down after he fell unconscious.

Suddenly, the door opens and Asuka slowly walks into the room. Shinji smiles at her, "Hi Asuka…" he says softly, still feeling weak. "How are you doing?"

Asuka smiles at him fondly before sitting on the bed next to his body. "I'm fine…but you nearly died out there…" she replies in a calm voice. Asuka hesitates before an expression of resolve showed on her face briefly before going back to her smiling face. "Shinji…despite how crazy you are sometimes when fighting for my sake or anyone else…I love you."

Shinji smiles back at her, his eyes filled with love. "I know…and I love you too, Asuka."

Asuka giggled softly before bending her head and chest down towards the Third Child slowly. "You idiot…I already knew that…" she whispers in a soft voice before gently kissing Shinji on the lips. Just when Asuka is about to pull away, Shinji wraps his arms around her back before kissing her back on the lips. 'Wow…' Asuka thinks softly to herself, surprised at his boldness.

Unknown to the both of them, Misato was watching the two of them through a crack in the door with a smile on her face. 'Took them long enough…' she thinks to herself before going to check up on the other pilots.

* * *

Lord Varian seems calm as he walks down a dimly lit hallway with SEELE 01, other known as Keel Lorenz, walking at his side. "The Eva Series was successful in recording the attack patterns and strategies the children use in battle, correct?" Varian asks in a cool voice.

"Correct. The next twelve Eva Series Units will be fully prepared to counter Nerv's Evas the next time we fight." Keel replies calmly as they approach the door. "I'll begin construction plans right away-"

"No need. It can wait for a few months." Lord Varian states firmly, cutting him off. "I've brought you here, to my stronghold, to show you something you might find interesting." He opens the door and enters with Keel following him inside. At the far side of the room is a large container engraved with blood red symbols with a glass cover visible to the both of them. Inside, and visible to the both of them, is the true Lance of Longinous.

Keel stares at the Lance, which has a reddish aura around it. "You've shown me the Lance already but…I've never seen something like this before."

"Unit 01 was about to fully awaken, just like it tried to before Third Impact when it came out of Nerv." Varian states calmly. "However, the Lance returned in order to keep it from doing that, which helped your own goals."

Keel nods, "You once told me the Lance of Longinous has a will of its own. If a progenitor of life goes against what it is meant to do, then the Lance puts the progenitor of life into stasis." He stares at the Lance, "It's what happened to Adam for what he did during First Impact, correct?"

"Yes." The Crimson Angel replies, "That is correct, Keel. However, Unit 01 almost reawakened yesterday. However, his power stabilized rather than go out of control." He glances calmly at the Lance before facing Keel. "I believe the Lance was responsible for this, which would explain why the Lance is glowing."

Keel nods, "That sounds accurate, but I doubt this is the only reason you've brought me here."

"Correct. Look to your right, Keel." Varian raises his right hand and the room lights up. Both Lord Varian and Keel are standing on a raised platform overlooking five dozen black-armored Eva Series Units, each equipped with a grey Lance copy. "This is what I wished to show you, Keel."

Keel stares at the Evas, amazed at this small army that Varian actually managed to assemble, speechless at this display. "Despite Unit 01 awakening, this war is far from over." Varian states calmly with a smirk on his face.

* * *

A/N: Wow, didn't see that coming did you? Anyways, I feel that these two chapters could have gone better but the stress of actually FINISHING them before the last day of school is over made me rush a bit. After all, I don't have Microsoft Word at my house…only Microsoft Word Processor. Ugh, I'm rambling. Hopefully you've enjoyed this 'season finale' and, unfortunately, I'm leaving you guys at a cliffhanger for a few weeks. Sorry, but I really need a break from writing all this. See you next time!

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	26. Bond of the Soul

A/N: You know…I said I'd wait a few weeks but I was getting bored so I decided to type this after the first week. Anyways, unless you've been living on the Moon, Shinji now has a girlfriend and now there are only eight Crimson Angels left (Including the human-form ones). Lets see what mischief I could cook up after a two-chapter special like that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

The Seventh Child sat wearily in her chair for breakfast one week later, unable to focus her thought coherently after her restless sleep. The past week wasn't a very good one for her. Correction, the last week of sleeping wasn't good for her. The pilot of Unit 06 was pleased to see Shinji and Asuka officially boyfriend and girlfriend now after the attack by Chivalt, which meant she could actually talk to Asuka about love without the redhead going into denial about it. Kensuke was adamantly against it until Toji said he was happy for the both of them, causing Kensuke's jaw to drop to the floor.

Sarah nearly laughed for a straight hour after seeing that expression. In her opinion, Toji stood up for the new couple for a few reasons. He was serious about his statement, he wanted to get into Hikari's good books by sticking up for them, or was trying to save Kensuke from Asuka's wrath. Possibly all of them, though she doubted the first reason. After all, he wasn't always this friendly with Asuka and, while he used to tease them about acting like a married couple in class, Sarah doubt he really approved of it wholeheartedly.

Sarah's thoughts trailed back to why she had trouble sleeping this past week. Every night so far, she woke up from a nightmare…at least, she thinks it was a nightmare. She could never remember the details or, well, ANYTHING about the dream…until last night. Three images in her head were all that she could remember. An Eva Unit exploding with its entry plug still inserted for no apparent reason in what appears to be outside Tokyo-03. A Crimson upside down star in the sky on a circle in the sky, which was black as night with blood red clouds in the sky. The last one showed a vague outline of an Eva with six AT Field Wings on its back with rubble surrounding it and what appeared to be a two-pronged spear in each hand as he faced an outline of what Sarah couldn't even describe.

"Earth to Sarah!" Serena shouts into her ear, causing the brunette to jump in her seat and nearly fall out of it. "Breakfast is ready."

"Can you NOT shout into my ear?" Sarah demanded, pushing the dream she had out of her mind and picking up her fork and knife. "I can hear you the first time."

"Sarah…" Patrick replied softly, in the seat on her left. "Serena already told you five times before she decided to shout."

"Oh, err, sorry." Sarah apologizes before realizing there was a bowl of cereal rather than pancakes or waffles in front of her. "Hey, why am I stuck with cereal?"

"We're all stuck with cereal." Serena points out, sitting down in the seat next to Patrick with a bowl of cereal each in front of the both of them. "I told you and Patrick we ran out of eggs and that I'll be going to the store today to get some more, so live with cereal." She pours some milk into her glass and cereal bowl before handing it to Sarah, who does the same.

Sarah hands it to Patrick, who fills his glass with milk but not his cereal bowl. Sarah rolls her eyes before commenting. "Cereal without milk is like toast with butter or jam. Why eat it without milk?"

Patrick raises an eyebrow. "It's my cereal and I'll eat it without milk if I want to." He replies bluntly.

Sarah glares at the boy before retorting. "You're in good humor." She takes her spoon and begins eating. She was grateful that Patrick recovered from his injuries so quickly, but never got an explanation as to why.

"Says the girl with bags under her eyes for the seventh day in a row." Patrick snaps back, glaring right back at Sarah.

"Hey! It's not my fault I have nightmares every night!"

"If you've been having trouble sleeping, then ask Doctor Akagi for some medicine for it." Serena suggested firmly, cutting off Patrick's retort before it even passes his lips. "That way, you'll actually get some sleep for a change."

"Right…" Sarah muttered before looking at Patrick. "I'm sorry for being so short with you today."

He just shrugs, "It's okay…You've said worse anyways." Sarah did NOT need to be reminded of that incident. It happened just after Sarah was first reunited with Patrick in the hospital. After she got the happiness and joy of seeing him alive again out of her system, she yelled at him for making her worry about him and accused him of being an insensitive jerk for not telling her that he was alive and well after Third Impact. The mildest thing she called him during her rant was 'blockhead.'

"Really?" Serena looks curiously at the both of them. "When was that?"

"None of your business." Sarah replies quickly, cutting Patrick off before he could tell his cousin. "Anyways, lets finish breakfast and head to Nerv for the weekly sync tests…again."

* * *

Rei's examination of the feeling called 'love' reached a breakthrough after Shinji and Asuka admitted their feelings for each other. They still hid the majority of their affection when in the presence of others like Misato or herself, but that didn't stop the First Child from secretly watching the new couple without their knowledge. Truthfully, she noticed similarities between the feelings that Sarah and Patrick had for each other and the affection Shinji and Asuka have for one another, but there were differences. Rei also heard about the relationship between Toji and Hikari, but has been more focused on Asuka and Shinji's relationship instead and has yet to examine their reactions.

The First Child sighs, opening a small notebook she has been writing her finding in. She started this recording after realizing she forgot the early stages of Shinji and Asuka's relationship (Prior to Third Impact) and needed to ask Misato about it for the sake of her study into it. She had a strange look on her face when Rei asked, which was a mixture of amusement and confusion, but she did tell Rei what she remembered about their early relationship, which was mostly denial and a love/hate relationship. She turns to the latest page and writes the following statement. 'Love is an emotion that seems deeper and more personal than friendship, and there are different forms of showing love for one another. Protecting your loved one by risking your own life, finding happiness when around and spending time with that person, as well as being physically close to the other, sometimes engaging in hugs or kisses.'

"Hey, breakfast is ready!" Asuka shouts through the door to the room she is stuck sharing with Rei, causing the latter to almost jump in surprise. "It can't take that long to get dressed Rei."

'I should have used a better excuse…' Rei notes to herself before responding out loud. "I will be out shortly, Asuka." Rei wisely decided not to inform the pilots of her own observations about love, as it would reveal the fact she has been spying on them and contaminate future results. The door looks like it is about to slide open when Rei thinks of a way to detour Asuka from opening it. "I merely lost my new pair of undergarments and am now putting them on." she replies in a monotone voice, hoping that'd prevent Asuka from becoming TOO curious about what she was really doing.

"Oh, well…hurry up before the food gets cold!" Asuka shouts back, a faint tone of embarrassment and annoyance in her voice as she quickly walks away, leaving the door closed.

Rei chuckles softly before hiding her notebook inside her pillow case and rising to her feet, fully dressed in her school uniform. Asuka told her to just try wearing other clothes instead but Rei merely stated that it was unnecessary. That was another behavioral trait she noticed from Asuka recently…The Second Child seemed like she wanted Rei to actually act more human that her normal emotionless self. Rei made a note in her mind to look into this type of behavior after she was done studying 'love.'

* * *

"Rei's been acting weird…" Asuka muttered to Misato and Shinji, cutting a piece of the pancakes in front of her before taking a bite out of it. "Okay, weirder than normal." She corrects herself after seeing the confused look on Shinji's and Misato's faces.

"What now?" Misato asks curiously, "Has she started to laugh and act joyful rather than be totally emotionless?"

"No…but she's up to something and I want to know what." Asuka replies firmly, eating another piece. "Wow, nice job with cooking breakfast today, Shinji." She openly compliments the Third Child, causing him to blush slightly.

Misato sighs regretfully, shaking her head. "I'm going to miss the fun of teasing you two about your relationship."

"It wasn't funny, Misato." Shinji says with faint annoyance in his voice. "It was embarrassing to the both of us."

"Shinji, it was so obvious you and Asuka were in love with each other that you practically had signs over your head proclaiming it to the world." Misato states bluntly, pointing her fork at Shinji and then Asuka. "I even put a bet on you two getting together." Her eyes widen slightly as she just noticed she revealed that to Asuka. 'Crap.'

"Wait- you BET on our love lives?" Asuka demanded angrily, glaring daggers at the purple-haired guardian. Shinji wisely decided not to get involved in this and remained silent, but did notice Pen Pen out of the corner of his eye waddling out off his personal freezer.

"Well…" Misato looked like she'd rather be somewhere else at the moment as she replied hesitantly. "Everyone else was taking bets so-"

"What?" Shinji and Asuka demanded in unison, the former shocked into responding from that shocking revelation. Both of them blush after realizing they said that at the same time before they both glare at Misato.

"Well…It started with an innocent bet between two people at Nerv and then everyone started placing bets too so…" Misato shrugs. "I don't know who started it but I decided to join in…and I won 50,000 Yen out of it too."

"Because you could have easily manipulated the outcome!" Asuka shouted angrily.

"Actually, part of the bet is that no one could interfere directly…and before you say anything, Asuka." Misato says sharply as Asuka was about to retort. "Section 2 agents are constantly watching us so no one could affect the outcome without being caught."

"Fine…but I'm going to hunt down that bastard who started this!" Asuka snapped angrily. "You guys had no right to just bet on our love lives like this…"

Pen Pen pulls out a beer can and drinks from it, unnoticed by the entire table as he waddles back to his freezer and closes the door behind himself. Misato sighs, gulping down the last of the beer in her can. "Okay…if you're going to insist on shouting and complaining, then I'll need another beer." She stands up and walks over to the refrigerator before opening it. It takes five whole seconds of searching before realizing a horrifying truth. "I ran out of beer?"

"Big surprise…" Shinji and Asuka muttered in unison as Rei enters the kitchen and sits down at the table next to the redhead.

"Okay, I KNOW I had at LEAST one beer can left this morning…so who drank it without permission?" Misato demanded, glaring at the three children.

"We wouldn't drink your disgusting crap." Asuka snaps at the purple-haired woman.

"Then who-" Misato stops in mid sentence from a penguin fin pulling on her pant leg, causing her to notice Pen Pen holding up a beer can, and was even opened for her. "Ah, there it is. Thanks Pen Pen."

"WAK!" He responds, waddling back to her freezer and shutting he door before Misato realizes it's empty.

"Well, time to-" She stops, noticing how light it is and glares at the freezer Pen Pen is in. "You ungrateful fish! I saved you from being euthanized and you repay me by DRINKING MY LAST BEER?"

"Penguins are technically birds." Rei states calmly, "And you would need to buy more beer today either way…"

Misato glares at Rei briefly before shrugging. "Fine, they're birds and I know that…but I need another beer NOW!" She complains.

"I am certain you will live without another beer." Rei says in a monotone voice. Misato sighs before going back to her breakfast.

* * *

Ritsuko stares at the scores of the pilots, taking particular note of Shinji and Asuka. "Misato, look at these scores for a moment." Misato looks curiously at her before looking over the scores of the pilots.

Rei: 92

Asuka: 100

Shinji: 100

Toji: 85

Patrick: 79

Kensuke: 85

Sarah: 80

Hikari: 82

"A perfect sync ratio…even though this is a test?" Misato asked calmly, secretly surprised at their scores. Ritsuko nods before the woman continues. "Everyone increased at least a point but…The Fifth and Seventh Child have lower scores than Hikari, even though they stated months before she did."

"You have to remember that those two weren't the best candidates we could have chosen. Everyone in the school has the best scores and potential for Eva Piloting…but those two weren't selected because they had the same level of scores, but their desire to willingly pilot the Eva for Nerv."

"The fact they had about average scores helped them out too." Misato points out, "Besides, they aren't doing too badly." She sighs, looking at Ritsuko. "Asuka and Shinji found out about the bets."

"Great…hopefully Asuka will forget you letting that slip."

"You lost 150,000 Yen if I recall correctly." Misato smirks at Doctor Akagi, who just glares at the purple-haired guardian. "So much for your knowledge into the human psych."

"That isn't funny." Ritsuko replies in a flat voice before opening communications with the pilots. "Okay everyone. That's enough for the day so you can go home now."

* * *

"They did what?"

"They put up bets for me and Shinji falling in love. Can you believe that?" Asuka demanded.

Sarah sighs, "I'm not too surprised, but I don't exactly approve of them doing that either." The brunette pauses, "So you want me to find out who started this whole thing?"

Asuka nods, "They'd likely keep their mouths shut if it was me or Shinji so…"

"Okay. I'll also ask why they didn't tell me so I could place my own bets on your love lives." Sarah notices Asuka's glare before smirking. "Hey, I would have bet for you two getting together. It was obvious enough."

"Fine, just get to work." Asuka mutters before leaving the changing room, fully dressed in the clothes she wore before her plug suit, which was a sky blue shirt and a blue skirt that went halfway down to her knees that looked great and complimented her eyes.

A/N: Sorry for the interruption but this outfit was in the Manga version of the day she moved into Misato's apartment. I'm not sure of the coloring because it is in black and white but I'm guessing it's the same color as the clothes she wore in the Anime in that scene.

Sarah shrugs, "Yes, yes." She looks at Rei, now changed into her school uniform. "Want to help me look for the person who started this bet?"

Rei smiles faintly, "I already know who it is."

"What?" Sarah exclaims, "Who- No, don't tell me. I want to figure it out for myself." She walks out of the room, leaving Rei alone inside the room.

* * *

In the main command center, the three technicians are discussing the very topic Asuka was irate about. "Maybe you should have bet for them getting together." Maya pointed out smugly, "That way, you wouldn't have lost all that money."

"Yeah…but it just seemed so unlikely. After all, they hated each other." Hyuga replies, "But I lost 18,000 Yen because of it."

"You two just have no understanding of love." Maya points out, showing them a check for 40,000 Yen on it. "Though I was surprised Ritsuko didn't bet for them." She added.

Aoba sighs, looking at his wallet. "I bet 10,000 Yen so it wasn't as bad as a loss for me."

"So, who started this whole thing?" Sarah asks curiously, popping in out of nowhere. The technicians look startled and try to hide what they were discussing but Sarah is too quick for them. "Don't bother denying it. Misato let it slip to Asuka and Shinji…and I want to know why I wasn't told about it so I could put my own bet on it."

"You couldn't be trusted NOT to tell the happy couple about it." Maya replies calmly, "And as for who started the bets…I don't really know." She admitted, looking at Hyuga and Aoba to see if they knew but both of them shook their heads. "None of us know who started it."

"Well, thanks for being honest with me." Sarah says before sighing. "Rei said she knew but I want to find out for myself." She walks away, planning to ask the other Nerv personnel next.

* * *

Asuka decided to spend some time with Shinji while Sarah went hunting for the person who started this whole betting on their love lives. She is sitting against a pillar in a small plaza with Shinji to her right and at her side. Both of them are holding hands and have their eyes closed with expressions of contentment on their faces. Asuka sighs softly, her head is lightly resting against Shinji's shoulder. The both of them enjoyed the feeling of closeness and warmth they felt by being near each other. Words weren't necessary at all to show their feeling right now. The sync training the had to take for Israfel helped them understand how the other felt about the other, simplifying things a great deal for them.

"Shinji…" Asuka whispers softly.

"I forgive you…" Shinji replies calmly, already knowing what Asuka was about to say.

"But…" The redhead looked sad as she replied.

"It's okay…" Shinji's voice was soothing, causing Asuka to sigh happily before snuggling her head against his shoulder with a smile on her face.

The topic Asuka wanted to discuss, or rather, apologize for was her behavior towards Shinji prior to Third Impact, even though she had done so before. Needless to say, both of them found it weird that they knew what the other was thinking when this close but, for some reason, it didn't seem important enough to address. Unknown to both of them, Rei was watching them from a long distance away.

The First Child was grateful that she had Angel DNA, as it heightened her senses to the point where she could easily observe the two lovebirds from over 50 meters away. However, something was different between the two of them this time. Of all the data she collected on human interactions, nothing described this type of phenomenon.

"Are you curious about it, First Child?"

Rei's eyes widen as she sharply turns around towards the source of the voice. A young man with grey hair and red eyes is standing there calmly with a smile on his face. "…My name is Rei."

"Ah, yes. Sorry about that, Rei." The young man replies before walking over to her side and looking at the two children. "So, are you curious as to what is going on?"

"I am." The First Child replies in a firm voice, "Please tell me, Tabris."

"Using my Angel name rather than my human name?" The young man has an amused expression on his face. "Very well but I'm surprised you haven't sensed it yourself." Rei looks slightly confused so the young man continues. "Try to detect their individual presence."

Rei frowns, closing her eyes and focusing on the two of them first. Both her and Tabris had a blue aura surrounding them characteristic of the Angels. Her aura was slightly golden as well, signifying her human DNA. Tabris seemed to have a hint of white around it, as well as a white halo around his head. "White means I'm just a spirit, Rei." He states calmly, having a feeling she would ask about it.

"I understand." She focuses on Shinji and Asuka right now and gasps softly, her eyes amazed at what she saw. "How-" Their AT Fields, the barrier of their mind and soul, were partly connected to each other.

"You didn't even sense that Asuka has awakened the ability to project her own AT Field?" Tabris looked faintly amused at this. "As for what is happening, I'll explain it. Both of them, due to the trust and love they feel for each other, have allowed them to unconsciously break down the barriers the AT Field creates between their individual selves. In short, they understand each other completely but are not a single entity like Third Impact would have done to all of humanity."

Rei smiles, "I think I understand it now, Kaworu Nagisa."

"Well, thank you for using my human name now." Kaworu replies as his smile fades away and becomes a frown. "However, I didn't just come here to explain the connection between the two of them."

The First Child nods, "You're here about the Crimson Angels."

"Yes. Neither God or any of the other Angels, myself included, expected the incident with Chivalt last week." Kaworu's voice has become serious. "God cannot interfere on this plane of existence directly, which is why I'm here to show you what happened during First Impact."

"Show me?"

Kaworu nods. "By doing the same thing Shinji and Asuka are unconsciously doing, I can show you my memory of the incident." He pauses, "I originally planned to tell Shinji myself but you seem to know him a great deal better than I do and I'll have to count on you to tell him when he is ready."

"I understand." Rei replies in a monotone voice before Kaworu lightly rests his right hand on her head before closing his eyes. Rei's eyes widen with shock as the entire incident, as well as the reasons for it, played through her head in a single second. She lightly clutches her head, looking at Kaworu with a sad frown on her face. "Is this…the truth?"

"Sadly…and you know what will happen if Shinji fails in what must be done now." Kaworu's voice is bleak as he says this.

"Yes…I do…but how can he know what the right thing to do is?"

"He'll have to figure it out on his own." He pauses, "I have one last thing I must tell you about. One of the Children has begun having premonitions of future events…mostly concerning the war with the Crimson Angels. These events are written in stone and cannot be changed, no matter how much anyone wishes to change them."

Rei becomes silent at this revelation. "What will happen?"

"That's not for me to say." Kaworu replies before being surrounded by a faint light as his form fades away. "Farewell, Rei Ayanami." He vanishes completely, leaving the First Child to ponder about the words Kaworu had just told her.

* * *

Sarah sighs after leaving Doctor Akagi's office after talking with her about the fact she had trouble sleeping. She gave her a prescription for some sleeping medication that should help her sleep peacefully but she had doubts as to if it was a good idea. She had asked everyone in the base, except Commander Ikari and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki about the bet, and no one knows who started it. Someone had to be lying about it because Ikari didn't seem like the guy who'd bet on the love life of his own son, which he could care less about.

"Hello, Sarah Elenor." Rei's monotone voice interrupted the brunette's thoughts, causing her to look at Rei. "Have you discovered who started the betting yet?"

"No." Sarah sighs, running a hand through her long brown hair, now tied into a ponytail from the new blue ribbon that Patrick gave her. "I give up. Just tell me who started it."

Rei smiles faintly. "I did."

Sarah blinks with surprise at that. "Makes sense why I couldn't figure out who started it. Who did you bet against, whose side were you on, and what were the stakes?"

"Commander Ikari." Rei states calmly, "And I bet for Shinji and Asuka."

Sarah raises an eyebrow at that. "What were the stakes?"

"I bet 500,000 Yen against a two-week paid vacation for four people and a penguin."

Sarah laughs at that statement, wondering how she had so much money, why she bet for the relationship instead of against it, and WHY she included a penguin on the bet. "I'm guessing the vacation is for you, Shinji, Asuka, and Misato." She pauses, "And Pen Pen."

"Correct. I have yet to discuss this with Misato or the new couple but I have a feeling they'll enjoy the vacation a great deal after everything that has happened." Rei smiles faintly, "I made it just after Third Impact so it was unfortunate I could not include the other Children as well."

"Ah, it's okay." Sarah shrugs the statement off. "Commander Ikari should let you guys go whenever you want. After all, we can hold down the fort when you're gone."

"One other thing, Sarah." Rei's voice becomes serious. "Have you been having any weird dreams?"

"You mean besides me being dressed in a bunny suit and hopping around town?" Sarah joked, "No, not really." She wasn't exactly lying, but she didn't want to worry anyone about a nightmare or two…unless it became more vivid, which would be a signal to her that it's another premonition and NOT a dream. The last vivid dream she had turned out to be Unit 04's activation test in Nevada, which turned out to be sabotaged.

"Very well." Rei began to walk away with a frown on her face.

"Wait…" Sarah says softly, causing Rei to stop walking. "I did have a nightmare about an Eva Unit exploding…a dark sky with an upside star…and an Eva with six wings surrounded by rubble with a two pronged spear in each hand." The third vision caused Rei to turn around sharply.

"Repeat the last one in detail." Rei demanded firmly. The First Child's tone of voice caught Sarah off guard but she described in as much detail as she could remember, which wasn't much. "…I see. Thank you for telling me about this." Rei begins walking away again, playing over the visions of what happened in First Impact in her mind. '…If this is true, then where and how…' She shakes her head, wondering when she should tell Shinji about this.

* * *

Misato began to look for Shinji and Asuka, impatient about getting them home so she could go shopping for beer. She exits the base and enters a small plaza with pillars and water around it. Needless to say, it was a beautiful place to exist in a place where they were forced to protect the world from. She notices Shinji and Asuka sitting together and is tempted to tell them it's time to go but, for some reason, she could bring herself to do it. The time the two of them are sharing seems too personal to interrupt, but Misato didn't know why.

"Misato…you should just let them stay here for a little while longer." Rei tells her in a soft voice.

"I know…but life won't stop and let you smell the roses forever." Misato replies softly before sighing, "But I guess they might not get much of a chance to do this very often and they can call me when they want to get picked up." She walks away, back into the base. Rei smiles before following the woman, deciding she has observed Shinji and Asuka long enough for today.

* * *

A/N: There you have it folks. A bit of normal life and less fighting after such a tense chapter is the best way to go in my opinion. I hope you liked this chapter and plan to continue reading this story until its eventual end. Seeya next time!

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	27. The Death Reaper

A/N: Hmm, I really have nothing to say this chapter except that my secondary story line was mostly followed in the past chapters so I'm happy about that…and I'm annoyed that my inspiration comes and goes with the wind, as well as the multitude of chores around the house that make things all the better (Sarcasm).

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

The room was dark with only a single light shining in the middle. Suddenly, eleven monoliths appears, each with a number 02 through 12 on them. Keel Lorenz appears sitting in a desk where SEELE 01 normally appears. Keel's expression looks filled with doubt and concern.

SEELE 02: What is wrong, Keel?

SEELE 05: Yes, why did you call us here so suddenly?

Keel Lorenz sighs before speaking. "The situation has changed. Our benefactor won't need our resources and knowledge much longer."

SEELE 09: What do you mean?

"I've been to their headquarters. They have the Lance of Longinous, which we already knew, and five complete sets of the Eva Series." Keel states bleakly, causing the room to become deathly quiet. "The only benefit we have to work in our favor at this point is knowledge on what Ikari would do in certain situations, as well as the original pilots."

SEELE 06: …I knew this would happen. They were just using us from day one.

SEELE 12: You told us that multiple times and we didn't listen. We believed that their goal was the same as ours…but it was not.

"They do seek the divine power granted by Third Impact, but they don't seek to reunite humanity…the seek this power to free their Master from the world of darkness." Keel states calmly.

SEELE 03: …What should we do then, Keel?

SEELE 07: Yes. You started this mess by allying us and yourself with this demon. How will you fix the situation we are now in?

Keel stares at the monoliths calmly before replying. "We'll begin reconstruction of the Eva Series as Varian desired, but we'll wait until the time is right."

SEELE 02: Very well…

All of the monoliths vanish, leaving Keel alone in the meeting room. He sighs before vanishing as well.

* * *

The Crimson Angel Meeting Room was as quiet as a graveyard, even though the four remaining human-form Crimson Angels were present. Morlina was staring at the empty chair that once seated Chivalt…no, Sir Eran. She wasn't sure why that name popped up in her head or what happened during the fight between Chivalt and Varian, since the barrier blocked out any and all methods of communication unless the one using it allows it or dies.

Morlina was different from the other human-form Crimson Angels, as she had no memories of her past. Lord Varian said to her that she was brought back to life and so her memories were lost because of that. But why was she revived in order to serve him? He told her that she was special and could easily use and manipulate the Crimson Angel's powers due to her own latent abilities that never awakened when she was alive. She had doubts, of course, but she decided there was a reason for the fact she wasn't told about her past, even if she couldn't remember it.

"So…now that Chivalt is dead, one of the five points of the Crimson Star is gone." Darvin muttered, glancing at the Doorway. The red spheres around the upside down star are in the formation of a clock and have been losing their light in a clockwise fashion as each Crimson Angel sent has fallen, and so far, eight have lost their light. The upper right point of the upside down star in the center of the Doorway is no longer lit, caused by the fall of Chivalt. "I'll fully admit that his short temper made things more interesting around here."

Morlina remains silent, staring at the empty seat. "True…It was a lot of fun setting the guy off." Shalock chuckles, glancing at Morlina briefly. "What's up, Gravity Queen? Miss the idiot or something?"

"…Don't call me that." Morlina growls out, pointing her staff at Shalock, which immediately silences him. "I just…feel like I knew him in my previous life."

Varian becomes silent, sighing before speaking. "It isn't important, Morlina. Put the traitor out of your mind."

"Fine…" Morlina mutters, not intending to disobey him openly.

Darvin chuckles, "Keel doesn't trust us much anymore. They think we might not need them anymore."

"We don't need them." Varian points out with a smirk on his face. "I already have a sample of Adam's DNA, which will be used to create an Eva Series if SEELE does not."

"What about those Evas you made already?" Shalock looks confused, "I thought you used Adam's DNA for it."

Darvin sighs wearily, "We used Crimson Angel DNA, you fool. If they were made from Adam's DNA, they would reject our commands." He smiles faintly, "Normal Crimson Angel DNA was used for those Evas, but Lord Varian used our Master's own DNA for his personal Eva Unit."

"Correct." Varian states with a smirk visible under his hood. "Chivalt was a suitable test run for the Eva in terms of movement and combat, but many of its systems and powers remain untested due to Chivalt being weakened from his fight against Unit 01."

Darvin stands up, "Why don't you test it against me?" He asks curiously, "After all, I'm powerful enough to withstand or deflect most attacks."

"Hmm, you also tend to be a long range fighter as well…" Varian's eyes look thoughtful, "Very well, meet me in the Dark Arena." He vanishes into thin air. Darvin stands up and does the same.

Shalock sighs, "I'll have to get working on THAT device so Varian can actually pull off controlling all those Evas himself." He sits up and hops off his chair, smiling at Morlina. "Get your mind off that fallen knight, Morlina. He is nothing but a traitor and a fool." He vanishes into thin air as well.

'Why is he so familiar though?' She wonders to herself before deciding to look in the central database so she could learn about Chivalt's past life.

* * *

The First, Second, and Third Child had just finished school for the day and decided some relaxation was in order when they got home. The day was sunny and cool, making the day seem all that much better. So good, in fact, that Rei almost seemed happy about it. That caused a few eyebrows to be raised after class was over, surprised at her odd behavior but deciding not to comment. Rei's observations of Hikari and Toji's relationship was similar to Shinji and Asuka's, but the blue-haired Eva Pilot noticed numerous differences.

"I apologize for slapping you about a week ago, Asuka." Rei states calmly on the way home from school. Rei was tempted not to say anything, desiring to observe the effects that…Rei frowns, unable to think of a word besides 'sharing' AT Fields. Kaworu didn't seem to be against the idea of them doing this type of thing, and it seemed that physical contact was necessary to do so, but Rei still had worries about continual use.

Asuka shrugs, her left hand holding Shinji's right gently. "It's alright…" her reply seemed slightly distant, and she regretfully pulls her hand away from Shinji's, her face now more alert. "At any rate, this weather is a lot nicer than it was when I first got here. It reminds me of Germany."

"What was Germany like when you were still living there?" Shinji asks curiously, staring into the redhead's blue eyes.

"The weather was more chilly than Japan was before Third Impact." Asuka replies, shrugging. "I'm not sure if Germany's weather changed like Japan's did after Third Impact so I couldn't really tell you about how it is now compared to Japan."

"You just told me about the weather there, but nothing else." Shinji points out calmly.

Asuka smiles, "Yeah, well besides the weather…" The redhead continued to talk about life in Germany, but Rei's attention shifted to what Kaworu showed her. This truth explained a great deal about the current situation, but it was difficult to just KNOW this truth but tell no one about it. Rei knew that she could tell no one until the right time, especially Shinji, because it could cause the worst possible outcome for humanity if Shinji wasn't ready for this information. He might hesitate or refuse to do what must be done for the sake of humanity…and the sacrifices that must be made in order to win this war.

* * *

The room was circular with a dome roof. Only a single set of large black doors at the edge of the room provided an exit. The room resembled a coliseum with stands for the spectators, and a booth for royalty. Lord Varian sits in a chair in that booth, watching his personal Eva, which easily defeated the weakened Chivalt, now battle Darvin. The coliseum has a multitude of damaged pillars and spectator seats, as well as the main arena in the center, which is filled with black sand. The only undamaged and unmarked area in the coliseum is the royal booth.

Varian's Eva Unit's metallic wing open up, revealing a multitude of missiles before they fires out at Darvin. The Elemental Master creates a wall of flames, causing the incoming barrage of missiles to explode before reaching him. Suddenly, the Eva charges through the flames and its right fist speeds towards Darvin. He quickly stabs is staff into the ground, calling up an ice column from the ground that flash-freezes through the arm and reaching all the way to the arena dome, effectively freezing the arm in place. The Eva's jaws open and a sphere of red energy forms in front of its mouth before firing a massive blast of energy towards the Elemental Master. Darvin quickly teleports out of the way of the incoming blast, which wrecks a fourth of the spectators seats and part of the wall.

"You're holding back your Crimson Angel form." Varian notes calmly, the Eva's right arm opens up in multiple places, forming curved spike on the arm. The Eva's spikes, which shatter some of the ice before energy channels from each spike to the others further up the arm. The Eva clenches his fist, causing the energy to crackle and surge through the arm as it shatters the ice.

"Yeah, but you're holding back too." Darvin's old voice notes calmly, his weathered face filled with weariness as he fires a barrage of black lightning bolts at the Eva, which sharply turns around and raises his left arm to block. The arm opens up in five places in a star formation before creating a circular crimson-colored energy barrier, which easily absorbs the lightning before deflecting it at the user. Darvin's eyes widen before he swings his staff upward at the lightning, deflecting it at the royal booth before an energy field surrounding it deflects the attack into the spectator stands nearby.

Varian shrugs, "True, but I think that's enough of a proper test run for today." He stands up before opening a dark portal under the Eva. The Eva Unit slowly sinks into it and the portal vanishes after the Eva is completely through it. "You've done well today, Darvin." He vanishes into thin air.

"Heh, yeah, but I wouldn't want to be in Nerv's shoes if they last long enough to actually fight that Eva." Darvin chuckles softly before vanishing as well.

* * *

"You were the one who started the damn betting?" Asuka was glaring angrily at Rei as she said this from the couch with Shinji sitting next to her, the only thing holding her back from smacking Rei was the fact Misato and Shinji were in the living room with them. "It's bad enough you just apologize TODAY for the slap you gave me over a week ago-" Asuka hesitated for half a second. 'Even though I did deserve it…' She thinks before continuing. "-But you tell me you're the one who started the betting on my love life? Give me ONE good reason why I should punch you in the face!"

Rei smiles faintly, sitting in a second couch with Misato on her left. "I won tickets for a two-week vacation, all expenses paid, from Commander Ikari for myself, you, Shinji, Misato, and Pen Pen." She pauses, "And I bet in favor of you and Shinji becoming romantically involved."

Asuka opens her mouth to retort but stops, realizing that her betting just gave them a free vacation. "…That is actually a really good reason." She admits.

"Really?" Shinji looks happy about the news. "That's great-"

"Yes! Finally an excuse not to go to work." Misato says happily before noticing the looks on the other pilots. "Well, I hate being stuck with paperwork, like after that first fight with Israfel." She glares at Shinji and Asuka at the memory of Nerv's embarrassment and the high stacks of paperwork on her desk because of it. Both Asuka and Shinji look slightly guilty about that, mainly because it was their fault. "Anyways, that's behind us, so let's not worry about it."

"Commander Ikari was not happy about it but he agreed to give us this vacation whenever we desire to have it." Rei states calmly.

"Finally, he does something decent for once." Asuka smirked, glancing at Shinji. "So, when and where should we go on this vacation?"

Shinji frowns, "I think we should wait until we really need the break and have the free time to use it, like summer vacation."

"True…" Misato mutters, sighing at the thought of waiting that long. "I don't like waiting that long but you all need to stay in school until summer vacation to make up for the classes you've missed because of the Crimson Angel attacks."

The Second Child sighs as well, "I guess you're right…But that's two months from now!" She complains, "I want that summer vacation now!"

"Don't worry Asuka." Shinji smiles, "I'm sure you can wait that long." He lightly rests his hand on hers, causing both of them to blush slightly. "And we still need to pick a place to have the vacation."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Asuka muttered, closing her hand around Shinji's. "Anyways, I'll let the dumb betting thing go since you bet for us AND got that vacation for everyone here." She pauses, "But I have to ask, why include the penguin?"

Rei just smiles. "It wouldn't be fun to leave him here by himself."

* * *

Varian stares calmly at the Doorway before raising his right hand towards it, a blood red sphere in his own hand. "Revalt. Awaken."

One of the remaining glowing red spheres in the Doorway's circle glows brightly and the sphere in Varian's hand vanishes. "The Death Reaper?" Darvin looks faintly amused as he pulls his hood off. "You aren't even going to bother holding back against these kids anymore, are you?"

"I can't afford to." Varian states bleakly, "Unit 01 awakened and isn't under my control yet. I lost the only opportunity I'll have in getting that Eva easily." He pauses before a soft ringing, almost like a bell, fills the room. "Ah, so it's that late already?" He states calmly to himself before pulling out a cellphone. He listens for a few seconds before replying. "I understand. I'll be there shortly." He hangs up.

Darvin raises an eyebrow. "Stage two is already in effect?"

"Yes…I'll be away for a few months so send Arlena, Cybornac, and Varkon, in that order, should Revalt fail." Varian states calmly before vanishing into thin air.

"…The Shadow Demon, The Bringer of Knowledge, and…Varkon…" Darvin frowns, staring at the spot Lord Varian vanished from. "The strongest of the demon-form Crimson Angels, huh? You really are taking them seriously, my Lord." He smiles faintly. "Things will get quite interesting."

* * *

A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but I still don't know how the U.N. works and I'm too lazy to find out…and my names are getting less creative.

"…And in recent news, a new Secretary-General for the U.N. has been appointed after the previous one, Jonathon Pendragon, died due to a heart attack one week ago." The voice of a woman in her 30s states calmly from the screen in Commander Ikari's office. Both Commander Ikari and Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki are present. "The new Secretary-General, Charles V. Ravian, has showed great knowledge and understanding of international politics by strengthening the ties between the five superpowers of the world…" The screen shows an image of a man in his mid 20s wearing a black suit with slightly unruly black hair and clear blue eyes waving to a crowd of people. "…Quite a charismatic individual, Mr. Ravian is currently the youngest Secretary-General in the history of the U.N. Hopefully, his young age is a sign of new ideas and a long term of excellent leadership."

The image on the screen disappears and retracts into the ceiling. Commander Ikari frowns slightly and his eyes lost in thought. Fuyutsuki notices Ikari's silence and decides to speak up. "Heart disease ran in his family so it was expected that he'd die eventually."

"Yes…but the timing for his heart attack could have been better. We still need the financial support of the U.N. if we are to fight the Crimson Angels effectively." Gendo Ikari states calmly, the frown on his face now gone. "I'll need to contact the new Secretary-General eventually, so I will do so now rather than-"

His statement is cut off by the sound of the base alarm. The phone starts ringing the moment he opens the drawer with the phone inside it. Ikari picks it up immediately, "Doctor Akagi, what's the situation?"

"The Magi detected a Crimson Waveform Pattern approaching Tokyo-03 from the ruins of Old Tokyo. At the target's current speed, it will reach the outskirts of Tokyo-03 in nineteen minutes and forty-seven seconds." Ritsuko's voice replies bleakly, "I've called the pilots and they're on their way."

"Very well." Commander Ikari hangs the phone up and slides the drawer back into his desk before standing up. "Lets go, Professor." Fuyutsuki nods, following Commander Ikari out of his office.

* * *

"Why can't we EVER get a break?" Asuka mutters to herself darkly, pulling her plug suit on. "Seriously, they're wasting their time attacking us when they could easily just surrender…because we can't lose."

"It is unwise to become overconfident, Asuka." Rei states in a monotone voice, pressing a button on her plug suit that siphons all the air inside the suit, which makes it skintight. Asuka sighs before pressing a similar button on her plug suit. "However, with Shinji having reached 500 sync in the previous fight, it is doubtful he could lose in battle."

"Yeah, but we can't just rely on Shinji." Hikari added from behind a row of lockers, hastily pulling her plug suit on. "You and Asuka both reached high sync ratios than any of us so you'll both be able to help Shinji if we can't."

"Hey, don't sell the rest of us short, Hikari!" Sarah shouts from behind the other row of lockers next to Rei and Asuka. "Just because we joined late doesn't mean we can't kick ass too."

"Let us proceed." Rei states in a monotone voice before walking towards the door leading to the Eva Cages. Asuka shrugs before following her, knowing that they had about three and a half minutes before the Crimson Angel arrived in Tokyo-03. Hikari quickly runs out from behind the lockers, dressed in her plug suit, similar to Asuka's but have minor differences. It's primary color is orange with golden highlights. The Eighth Child quickly opens the door and runs after the First and Second Child.

"Hey, wait for me!" Sarah shouts, running out from behind her set of lockers, dressed in her dark blue and lavender plug suit, before running after the other three pilots heading for the Eva Cages.

* * *

"Should we send Units 00 through 02 up or just see if Units 03 through 07 can eliminate that thing?" Misato asks Doctor Akagi in a calm voice, staring at the main viewer. The main viewer is showing a picture of from on top of the mountains near Tokyo-03. A large, black robed figure roughly the size of an Eva Unit is slowly hovering towards the city, wielding a large battle axe with three sickle blades curved downward at the bottom of it, joining together to form a single point. The axe-heads are similar in appearance to scythe blades and a single red gemstone rests in the center of the pole between the axe heads, glowing with a chilling aura. The Crimson Angel's hands and face appear to be shrouded by a black fog that hides any sign of its body.

"That's your decision, Major Katsuragi." Ritsuko reminds her blandly, "You're the one who is in charge of battle tactics, not me."

Misato glares at Ritsuko, but she just smirks at the Pilot's guardian. "Fine, I was just asking for your opinion as the person in charge of the wellbeing of the Pilots and their Evas."

Ritsuko shrugs, "Send Shinji in Unit 01 up with its new weapon. Let's see what it can actually do in combat." she pauses for a few seconds before continuing, "Send up three other Evas with him too. We don't need to do cliché one on one fights with these bastards."

"Okay. Hyuga, send up Units 03, 05, and 07." Misato orders, glancing at the main viewer as the Crimson Angel stops moving forward, now just hovering ten meters above the ground outside the city of Tokyo-03.

* * *

Units 01, 03, 05 and 07 arrive in the outskirts of Tokyo-03. The weapons cache near Unit 01 opens up but, rather than the normal assortment of weapon inside, there is a single-bladed long sword with a cross-shaped hilt. Shinji hesitates before lightly wrapping his Eva's right hand around the weapon, remembering how strange it felt when his Eva's AT Field reached out to the weapon and altered it. Unit 01 slowly takes the blade out and slashes the air in front of him, getting a feel for the weapon.

Toji's voice interrupts Shinji's thoughts about his weapon. "Hey, is this guy really our opponent? It looks like a cliché Grim Reaper or something."

"Hey, that's what I was going to say!" Asuka shouted, using her own Eva's view screen to look into Shinji's Eva and at the target. "Don't steal my line, stooge!"

"Please don't fight now…" Shinji asks softly, getting the attention of the two pilots.

"Fine…I'll complain to Misato about how I'm not up there too." Asuka mutters darkly before closing communications with Shinji and Toji.

Unit 03 walks to the edge of the city, holding a two-bladed Prog Axe in its hands. Unit 05 is twenty-five meters away from Toji, a heavy machine gun in its hands. Unit 07 stands back in the city with a positron sniper rifle set up on the top of a building with her Eva-sized shield leaning against another building nearby. Shinji, inside Unit 01, walks forward between Toji and Kensuke's Eva Units, holding his sword loosely in his right hand.

"Let the enemy make the first move." Misato orders, opening communications with the pilots. "Let's not try to be reckless. After they lost one of their human-form Crimson Angels, they probably won't hold back with who they send now."

The Evas all prepare themselves to counterattack but the Crimson Angel makes no move to attack, or rather, makes no note of the presence of the Evas at all. This stand-off didn't help the tension in the air, causing the pilots to become nervous. Eventually, a positron rifle shot sped past Unit 03's shoulder and at the target. Surprisingly, the attack goes straight through the Crimson Angel's hood and out the other side, almost as if it doesn't have a physical body.

"Hikari, what are you doing?" Misato demanded, surprised that she actually disobeyed orders like that. That's something Asuka would normally do.

"I-I'm sorry…" Hikari apologized softly, looking slightly ashamed. "I just…my hand slipped and-" She never finished this statement, as an axe-blade cuts deeply into her Eva's back, barely missing her entry plug. Hikari screams in pain as her Eva collapses onto the ground, the pain too intense for her to have her Eva stand. The Crimson Angel is now floating behind Unit 07 and the image of it in front of the other three Evas vanishes.

"HIKARI!" Toji cries out in shock before his Eva charges straight at the Crimson Angel, who raises its axe and slams it down at the entry plug. The axe stops inches from the entry plug, the axe handle being held in place by Unit 03's left hand while his right swings his own Prog Axe at the creature's hood. The weapon goes straight through with no resistance, as if it's a ghost. Toji quickly turns his Eva around, away from the Crimson Angel and uses his Prog Axe to deflect the Crimson Angel's own axe swing.

* * *

"How is she?" Misato demanded with a worried expression on its face.

Maya sighs, "Her injuries are bad but not life threatening; the pain is excruciating for her. It wouldn't be a good idea for her to continue fighting."

Misato nods, "Lower her sync and tell her to get out of there." She looks at Hyuga, "How is that thing doing that?"

Hyuga frowns slightly and is about to reply, but Ritsuko cuts him off. "It seems to be using a tactic similar to the twelfth Angel, Leliel. Except…rather than that form being a shadow of the real enemy, its AT Field is shifting it out of physical space." she smiles faintly, "I'll admit that it's a clever strategy but if our Evas can cancel out its AT Field, it can't move out of physical space."

"Meaning that it's just using his AT Field to protect itself in a different way than a barrier." Misato mutters softly, thinking for a few seconds before opening communications with the three pilots on the battlefield. "Kensuke, help Hikari get out of there. Shinji, Toji. I want you two to cancel out that guy's AT Field and cut him to shreds."

* * *

"Gladly." Toji growls before unconsciously channeling his AT Field into his Prog Axe and slamming it down at the creature. The Crimson Angel quickly uses his axe blade to parry the incoming attack. Toji smirks as Unit 01 stabs Revalt in the back with his own AT Field-charged sword, causing it to scream in pain as the black mist around it faded.

Shinji nearly gasped at what the creature truly was before pulling his sword out and retreating. Revalt looked like a skeleton with a black hooded cloak. Its eyes were small blood red dots and seemed to chill the soul when you looked into them. "Die…" A hollow, empty voice echoed across the battle field before black mist reappeared around it and began spreading out like a shockwave at the Evas.

"Block it with your AT Field! NOW!" Misato shouted over the comm link. Toji jump away the moment the black mist reappeared and puts up his AT Field. Shinji wastes no time putting up his own AT Field as well. Both of the pilots eyes widen after the mist dissipates. Anywhere the mist touched seems to have broken down into dust…almost decayed. "That thing just used an Anti-AT Field! If that touches your Eva, you'll die!"

Toji swallows hard, realizing that this guy wasn't going to be easy to take down. "How's Hikari?" He asked Misato in a soft voice.

"She's in bad shape, but she'll survive." Misato replied calmly.

Toji breathes a sigh of relief before focusing on the Grim Reaper rip-off. 'That bastard…' He growls to himself, remembering how close that wound Hikari's Eva got was to her Entry Plug and, by extension, Hikari herself. He would admit it to himself and Kensuke…but no one else. He loved Hikari. She was kind, gentle, and caring…even though she hit him with her school bag sometimes (Which he did deserve sometimes but would rather die than admit it). Suddenly, he gasps softly in pain, his chest feeling like its burning. 'What…the…'

'Do you want to protect others or just yourself?'

Toji's eyes widen, vaguely remembering that voice. He smiles faintly before closing his eyes and replying in a soft voice. "My friends…and Hikari are more important."

'I'm so proud of you, Toji. You've grown up to be a fine, young man.'

Toji blushes faintly before scratching the back of his head briefly and replying. "Thank you…Mom."

* * *

"Toji's sync just shot up to 300!" Maya reported.

Ritsuko says nothing, which somewhat amuses Misato. "What? Not shouting 'impossible' at this stuff anymore, Rits? That's not like you." she joked.

"Why bother saying it. These kids take the impossible and make it possible anyways." Ritsuko mutters darkly but is actually pleased that not just the three original pilots can reach this level of synchronization.

* * *

Toji screams in pain, the first time unlocking this level of synchronization is very taxing on the body. Two diamond-shaped AT Field wings grow out of his Eva's body and he becomes silent, amazed at how strong his body feels right now. "You okay, Toji?" Shinji asked, worried about him after hearing his scream.

"Yeah…I'm just…wow, this feels amazing…" He replies in a soft voice, almost sounding in awe of it. "Was it…always this painful?"

Shinji frowns, "Usually just the first time…then the pain get less each time you use it." His eyes widen before jumping back, barely evading the Crimson Angel's axe in time. "Let's talk about it later."

Toji nods before flying at the Crimson Angel and swinging his Prog Axe down at him. Surprisingly, The Crimson Angel uses his own axe to easily deflect it. The creature chuckles, "Some flashy display of power won't help you brats…" His voice sounded hollow and empty, "Lord Varian is done sending weaklings to fight you. I am one of the four Demon Lords, and my name is Revalt."

"How cliché can you guys get…" Sarah mutters darkly to herself.

Shinji channels his AT Field into his sword as slashes at Revalt, firing an energy slash at him. The Crimson Angel quickly turns around and blocks the attack with his axe. Shinji was surprised, under the impression that Chivalt's energy slash could cut through most material. "Toji…I think that axe of his is like Chivalt's sword. They're weapons that originally belonged to the Crimson Angels."

"Oh great…" Toji muttered darkly, "That means it can fire energy slashes too, huh?"

Asuka opens communications with him, "That's ridiculous. I'm sure all the weapons have different abilities. Chivalt had the energy slashes because he was a close-range swordsman. This guy uses Anti-AT Fields and cheap attacks."

"Don't call Toji stupid!" Kensuke snapped at the redhead, placing Hikari's Eva on the elevator so it could be sent back to Nerv.

"I'll call him stupid if I want to." Asuka shot back.

"Enough!" Misato snaps angrily, causing them to become silent. "We have a Crimson Angel to deal with right now."

Shinji closes his eyes and begins to focus himself. Suddenly, his eyes shoot open as two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on his Eva's back. Shinji charges at Revalt, channeling his AT Field into his sword before slashing horizontally at the target. The Crimson Angel blocks the attack with his axe, leaving him open to attack from his left. Toji takes the opportunity to slash his axe into the creature's chest, but is blocked by an AT Field. "Heh…nice try but I can use an AT Field to block rather than enter shadow form." He taunts in a hollow voice, "Even with you two, there's no way to defeat-"

Whatever he was going to say next was cut off when Toji cancelled out his AT Field in front of the enemy as a positron sniper rifle shot blew the head off of the Crimson Angel, courtesy of Unit 05. "Nice shot, Kensuke!" Toji shouts. "Got the bastard in the head!"

"Heh, thanks for helping me pierce his AT Field." Kensuke replies cheerfully before frowning. "Wait…it isn't burning so it must be alive, right?"

"Brilliant deduction, brat." The severed head noted, his skull looking heavily burnt with no hood left to hide the head. "All you did was sever my head. Congratulations." He states sarcastically.

"Oh, come on!" Asuka shouted angrily, "That bastard's head was blown off its body! How is it alive?"

Unit 03 cuts his main body up, severing his limbs. Oddly enough, they didn't move or respond to the attacks but the head screeched in pain. "DAMN IT! STOP DOING THAT!"

Toji chuckles, "Hey Shinji. Looks like he can't do anything now except scream at us." He discards is Prog Axe and picks up the axe Revalt was using, looking at it curiously.

Revalt's eyes glow brightly as the skull is surrounded with a thick, black mist. "Rot into oblivion!" He roars before firing the mist in all directions, instantly breaking down anything in its path into dust.

The Evas begin to focus their AT Fields to block before Misato's shout stops them cold in their tracks. "You can't block this Anti-AT Field! RUN!" All three Evas immediately ran away from the encroaching Anti-AT Field, the two with AT Field Wings not even thinking of using them rather than just running.

Unfortunately, Unit 03 accidentally trips over Revalt's bone leg, barely able to turn onto his side before the mist is inches from his head and chest. Toji prepares for the worst but, surprisingly, the axe in his hand begins to glow brightly with a golden light, creating a barrier around Unit 03 that prevents the Anti-AT Field from affecting him. "What…?" Toji feels very strange, almost as if his power is channeling into the axe on his right hand.

"Whoa…" Kensuke whispers softly as the mist almost appears to be purified and it dissipates, leaving one severed skull in shock at the situation. Unit 03 slowly stands up, the axe in his right hand, like Chivalt's sword, has been altered by Unit 03's AT Field. The axe pole is now dark grey in color with a single long, curved point at the bottom of the axe. At the bottom of the curved point appears to be a small handle, just large enough for a single Eva's hand to grab it. The two axe-blades have changed as well, now having a slight reddish hue and resembling half-circles connected to the pole of the weapon by three triangular-shaped curves from the blade to the pole. The top of the axe now has a long, curved sickle-like blade as well. "That is…"

"Awesome…" Toji finishes Kensuke's statement for him, swinging the weapon as a way to test its feel.

"How dare you mutilate my weapon!" Revalt roars, trying to fire more black mist, now focused at Unit 03, but Toji throws the axe straight at the skull, dispelling the black mist with ease. Revalt focuses his mist under his skull, decaying the ground so he could just barely evade the thrown weapon. "You missed, brat!"

"Did I?" Toji asks innocently as he holds onto the axe handle, connected to the axe pole by a long, black chain. He smirks before clicking a button on it. If Revalt had skin, it would be deathly pale as he forced his head to turn around, watching as one of the axe-heads cut deep into the ground as the axe zipped back towards Toji. Before it could do anything to counter, the axe-head cut through the skull and the S2 Core inside of it, effectively killing the Crimson Angel. The remains of both the skull and cut up body began to burn into ashes. Toji breathes heavily after the axe reconnects with the handle, the exhaustion for using a high sync for the first time now catching up with him. "Beat that, Asuka." He whispers softly before losing consciousness.

* * *

A/N: It took awhile and there are some parts I didn't entirely like, but this came out to be an okay chapter. Life has become busier but I'll try to get a chapter out at least every two weeks. See you next time!

Read and Review!


	28. The UN's Decision

A/N: Well, if I do this story right, I'll have exactly fifty chapters when I'm done with the story, which I planned on to begin with. However, I'm soon going to have issues with having at least one Eva Pilot reaching a new sync level after each fight…but I've found a solution to this issue. Sorry, I'm spoiling stuff AND rambling, onto the show…sort of…

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

Morlina looks annoyed as she types rapidly on a large keyboard with three computer screen in a semi-circle in front of her. "Where is it…" she mutters to herself before pausing, finding the data she was looking for. "There it is…" Morlina opens the file titled, 'Lord Varian's Report - Chivalt.'

'Subject was recruited after the battle of Lithuania Castle. His true name, Sir Eran, sought vengeance for the death of his beloved Princess, Loriana.' Morlina frowns, feeling that the name was familiar but couldn't remember she heard it from. She shakes her head and continues, 'He joined with us on the condition that his beloved was resurrected. I complied but chose not to inform him that she was resurrected yet. After all, he might have chosen to leave our ranks…which would force me to kill an excellent specimen. He is one of the few humans who had a strong enough will to prevent his form to be mutilated and, instead, kept his human form while having his secondary Crimson Knight Form under his control.'

Morlina sighs, realizing that this file couldn't be fully read as she did not technically have permission to read it and only could view a summary of the report. Heck, she couldn't even read her OWN report fully. 'What are you trying to hide, Varian?' she wonders to herself before closing the files she was looking at and leaving the room.

* * *

Two days later, Commander Ikari is sitting in his office with Fuyutsuki standing next to him. Both of them calmly wait as a large screen lowers from the ceiling of the room and turns on, revealing a young man in his mid 20's with black hair and blue eyes. "Ah, Commander Ikari. I'm glad to meet you." He states in a calm voice, a small smile on his face.

"As am I, Ravian." Commander Ikari replies in a monotone voice, his faint frown hidden by his hands. "I am contacting you to-"

"Oh, just call me Charles. Why bother with the titles right now." He pauses, "I'm guessing you wanted to talk with me about your funding." Commander Ikari nods. "The nations of the U.N., as well as myself, still support your current funding…however…"

Commander Ikari looks faintly annoyed, "Is there a problem?"

"Actually, there is." Ravian points out calmly, frowning at Commander Ikari. "It's obvious that both these 'Crimson Angels' and SEELE are after Unit 01...yet you constantly sent it out into combat, despite the danger you're putting the world in by doing so." Ikari's eye narrow slightly but the Secretary-General continues, "The other superpowers agree with me on this issue, Gendo, as do the majority of the other nations in the U.N. We're requesting that Unit 01 is to be put into the highest security location inside the base and not sent out for any reason…except as a last resort." There is a faint smile on Ravian's lips as he says this.

Ikari glares at the man flatly, "And if I refuse?"

"Your funding for Nerv will be cut." he replies firmly, "SEELE isn't in charge of the U.N. anymore, Ikari. You'll have to follow our orders, as we are providing Nerv funding. If you find taking orders from the U.N. unacceptable, you may resign from your post and have someone else in charge."

"Very well. Unit 01 will be put in Terminal Dogma, which has the highest level security in this base." Ikari replies in a monotone voice, hiding his anger at the situation.

"Very good. The U.N. will continue funding Nerv as long as Unit 01 stays out of the fight." He pauses, a ringing heard on the other end as Ravian picks up the phone. "Oh, hello there." He glances at Ikari, "Sorry, Gendo, but this is a very important call…so I must leave for now. Have a good day." He closes the connection on his end.

The moment the connection is severed on Ravian's end, Ikari's expression is no longer impassive. "…That could have gone better. Unit 01 was, by far, out strongest Evangelion Unit."

Fuyutsuki nods, "I don't agree with sealing Unit 01 up but I see their point. SEELE and the Crimson Angels BOTH need Unit 01 to win this war."

"As do I…but Unit 01 is the only Evangelion Unit we have right now that can actually counter Varian personally…at least, at the moment." Commander Ikari looks calmly at Fuyutsuki, "Inform Doctor Akagi of the situation and have Unit 01 moved to Terminal Dogma. It's likely the U.N. has a spy or two in Nerv to make sure we follow orders so we don't have a choice but to comply."

Fuyutsuki nods, "I understand." He replies before walking to the door and leaving the room.

* * *

Ritsuko sits in her office as Fuyutsuki leaves the room, having just informed her about the U.N.'s decision. She sighs as she dials the Katsuragi apartment, realizing the easiest way to move Unit 01 is to have the Third Child pilot it into Terminal Dogma. Two rings later, Misato picks up the phone and cheerfully replies. "This is the Katsuragi Apartment."

Ritsuko smiles faintly, grateful it was Misato rather than Asuka picking up the phone. "Hello Misato."

"Ah, hi Rits. You don't usually call the apartment…so I'm guessing you need something?" she asks softly.

Ritsuko nods, even though Misato couldn't see it through the phone. "Yeah. Commander Ikari just spoke with the Secretary-General of the U.N… and I have some good news and some bad news."

Misato sighs, "Well, you might as well tell me the good news first."

"They've agreed to continue funding Nerv in its battle against the Crimson Angels and SEELE." Ritsuko states calmly, "The bad news is that they set a condition for that. We can't send Unit 01 out anymore…and the Eva is to be sealed up in Terminal Dogma."

The purple-haired guardian swears angrily, "Damnit…Unit 01 is the best Eva we have and they want us to not use it? What are they thinking?" She demanded quietly, remembering that the Pilots were back from school and they (Asuka) wouldn't take this very well.

"Sadly, they have a point. We've been sending out Unit 01 to fight them even though their target IS Unit 01." Ritsuko replies calmly, "We can still do sync tests and simulation training…and send out Unit 01 as an absolute last resort but…"

"…I think I know why you decided to call the apartment rather than my cell phone, Rits."

"Yeah. Moving Unit 01 into Terminal Dogma ourselves would waste a great deal of time and money compared to having Shinji do it."

"…Alright, I'll send Shinji over." Misato replies flatly before hanging up.

Ritsuko sighs before hanging up on her end. 'She took that as well as could be expected…' she notes to herself before standing up and walking out of her office.

* * *

"…And that cop actually thought you stole that bike rather than just finding it abandoned on the grass?" Asuka demanded, sitting in the living room next to Shinji on the couch as Shinji hesitantly nods. "Tch, that guy must have been a total asshole! Why did you stand up to-" she stops herself after seeing Shinji's expression. "…Sorry about that…you didn't really stand up to people much back then, did you?" Shinji nods, "Wow, your childhood sucked…no offense."

Shinji smiles at the redhead, "It's okay, Asuka. I didn't get in too much trouble afterwards…How was you childhood, Asuka?"

Asuka blinks before smirking, "So you'd like to know the great past of Asuka Langley Souryu?"

Shinji nods but before Asuka could begin, Misato interrupts the moment. "Hey you two. What are you lovebirds up to?" Her voice didn't sounding teasing at all.

Shinji and Asuka both blush, "Just telling each other about our childhoods." Shinji replies softly.

"Yeah, and it was MY turn before you interrupted it." Asuka complains. "Why don't you go back to drinking beer?"

Misato ignores Asuka's jab (So to speak) and notices Rei isn't in the room. "Hey, where's Rei?"

Asuka shrugs, "Probably in my room studying or something. She's always writing something in a book but I can never find it."

"Well, it doesn't really matter. I was actually looking for Shinji." Misato replies.

"He's my boyfriend, so back off." Asuka snapped, wrapping her arms around Shinji's right, causing both of them to blush.

Misato glares at the redhead, "That isn't why I was looking for him. Ritsuko called and wants him to come to Nerv."

"What does she need me to do?" Shinji asks softly.

"She didn't really say." Misato decided to lie rather than tell the truth and deal with Asuka's rant about how stupid the U.N. was being. "But she'd like you to head over immediately…and no Asuka, you can't go with him."

"Why not?" The redhead demanded.

"Because I need to have a talk with you." Misato states flatly, causing the redhead to become silent. Shinji stands up before walking over to the door and putting his shoes on. He decided that whatever Misato and Asuka were talking about is none of his business and wondered what Ritsuko and, by extension, his father wanted him to do now.

* * *

"Okay, so what is it?" Asuka decided to wait a few seconds until Shinji left before replying.

Misato frowns slightly, "You seem to be acting a bit possessive when it comes to Shinji." she notices Asuka is about to reply but she cuts the redhead off. "I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but by now you should know he cares about you a great deal…and he won't betray your love."

Asuka blinks a few times, "Wait, you're actually giving me advice on my love life?" she demanded.

"Yes, because you seem to need it." Misato glares at the Second Child, causing the retort she was about to say to be cut off. "Don't act so defensive…I know that Shinji is the first real person you've cared about since your mother, but you shouldn't act TOO possessive when it comes to him, or else it'll cause problems in your relationship."

The redhead sighs, frowning slightly as her eyes appear watery for a second before she closes them and wipes them with her arm. "I know but…I just can't help acting that way after everything that's happened." she whispers softly.

"Well, just don't overdue it then." Misato replies before smirking impishly at the redhead. "So, how far have you two gone?"

Asuka's face turned as red as a tomato. "That isn't any of your business!" she snaps at her guardian.

Misato chuckles, still smirking at the redhead. "Oh? So are you're still just at little hugs and kisses? Or did you decide to let Shinji have a little more leeway and let him massage your breasts-"

"SHUT UP!" Asuka shouts as she blushes furiously and jumps to her feet at the thought of letting Shinji do that. "I'm not a pervert like you! I'm waiting until this whole idiocy with the Crimson Angels is over before going any farther than just kisses!"

Misato smirks at her, "Good. At least you won't make the same mistakes I did when I was your age." she stands up, now smiling at Asuka. "I'll hold you to your word on this." Surprisingly, she walks over and hugs Asuka tightly. At first, the redhead resists but stops and just hugs Misato back.

"Fine…" Asuka mutters softly, "Now, are you going to tell me the reason Shinji had to go to Nerv?" She breaks out of Misato's embrace and glares at her. "I know that you were lying to me."

"How did you-"

"I didn't know, but you just told me." Asuka smirks as her guardian glares at her.

Misato sighs, "Fine, but promise you won't yell and scream at anyone about it."

The Second Child's eyes narrow before she responds. "…Fine. I promise."

"They want Shinji to move Unit 01 to Terminal Dogma after the U.N. gave Commander Ikari orders to no longer use Unit 01 in combat." Misato states softly. "Unit 01 is the target of both SEELE and the Crimson Angels so…"

Asuka bit her lip down at the sheer idiocy of it all. She wanted nothing more than to rant at those idiots at the U.N., but Misato made her promise not to yell or scream about it so her voice came out as a low growl. "Are they total morons or something? Shinji is the best pilot we have!"

"I know…but it's either that or Nerv's funding gets cut." Misato states bleakly, "If it makes you feel better, Commander Ikari didn't like it much either."

"It does…a little bit, anyways." Asuka mutters darkly, "It's nice he got knocked down a peg or two."

Misato chuckles softly, "True, but it wasn't worth the cost of losing Unit 01."

* * *

A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but not much is known about Hikari's older and younger sisters (except their name) so I'm making up stuff up about them.

Meanwhile, both Toji and Hikari were somewhat nervous as they both approached the latter's house. Toji had never been invited over to a girl's house (even though Hikari was just going to help him study), and he was more than a little nervous about it. Hikari still had some doubts about inviting Toji over. After all, anytime she brought up Toji's name in the house, Nozomi, her younger sister, would tease Hikari about their relationship (or lack thereof in this case). Kodama, her older sister, tended to act more mature about it and encouraged Hikari to confess her feelings for Toji.

Kodama was considered a possible Eva Pilot at one point but Hikari was chosen instead due to her younger age and closer connection with her mother. Hikari's older sister, while attending high school, also had a part-time job to help pay the bills, which meant she rarely had time to spend with her younger sisters but also made her more mature and grownup than she normally would be at her age. Nozomi was the exact opposite, now attending her first year of middle school, she tended to be immature and carefree most of the time. There were rare moments that she willingly did chores around the house and showed a great deal of maturity regarding Hikari's situation with Toji, but those moments were forgotten soon after they ended and Nozomi went back to teasing Hikari about it.

After Hikari accepted becoming an Eva Pilot, Nerv agreed to provide her family with money in order to help their situation (provided Hikari continued to pilot, of course). Due to these events, Kodama no longer needed her part-time job and was able to spend more time with her younger sisters. Both her older and younger sister disapproved Hikari's decision to risk her life and wellbeing but eventually gave up trying to convince her otherwise.

"Well, we're here." Hikari says softly before pulling her keys out of her schoolbag and unlocking the door. She slowly opens the door and walks into the house before pulling her shoes off. Hikari notices Toji hasn't entered and looks at him, noticing his hesitation. "Come on in, Toji."

"Okay Hikari." Toji replies softly before entering the house after Hikari, pulling his shoes off after enters and taking Hikari's keys out of the door and handing them to the class rep.

"Oh, thank you Toji." Hikari thanks him, a faint blush on her cheeks as she puts her keys into the school bag carried on her shoulder. In passing, she noticed that only their shoes were at the door, meaning both of her sisters were out. She didn't know whether to be relieved about that or downright scared. She knew Toji wouldn't do anything bad to her, but Nozomi and even Kodama would never let Hikari hear the end of it. Alone in the house with a boy…the implications almost made her blush deeply but she quickly got her mind off of it.

"So…where are we going to study?" Toji asks a bit nervously with a faint blush on his face. "Your room?"

This time, Hikari couldn't hide her blush at that suggestion. "N-No, the living room would be best. It's this way." She walks down the hallway and into the first room on the left. Her living room had a medium-sized TV, a small table and a couch big enough to fit three people. There was also a cushioned, wooden chair in the corner of the room with a couple of bean bags (one of which she used to own) that now belonged to Nozomi. 'Stay calm Hikari.' She thought to herself. 'This is no different from having Asuka over and helping her understand kanji.'

Hikari walks over to the couch and sits on it, placing her school bag on the floor next to it before straightening her skirt. "Umm, you can sit down next to me, you know." she says shyly.

Toji nods before hesitantly walking over to the couch and sitting next to Hikari with about half a foot between them. "So…what should we start with?"

Hikari immediately forgets her nervousness and becomes businesslike. "First, we'll work on the math homework and double-check each other's answers to make sure we have it right." Hikari replies calmly, pulling out her math book, a sheet of blank lined paper, and a pencil. She notices Toji staring at her oddly rather than taking anything out and frowns at him, "Well? Don't just sit there, lets get to work."

"Oh, right." Toji replies quickly, pulling out his own math book, a sheet of paper, and a pen.

Hikari sighs, "You should use a pencil for math problems in case you make a mistake." she points out.

Toji glares at her, "Well, I don't have a pencil…and I don't plan on making any mistakes." he shot back.

"You're hopeless." Hikari sighs, pulling out a spare pencil and handing it to Toji, who gratefully takes it. "Okay. Turn to page 239 and we'll get started."

* * *

Shinji sighs as he moves his Eva to the safety line before grabbing onto it and sticking his Eva's foot into it. The safety line/elevator slowly lowers his Eva down to Terminal Dogma. He is not wearing his plug suit but does have his A10 Nerve Clips in his hair so he can sync with his Eva Unit. Shinji is one of the few who can use his Eva and still have a high sync without a plug suit on. Ritsuko once thought of having the other children try syncing without the plug suit, but decided against it after noticing Shinji's score almost fifteen points lower than normal. As an emergency, it wasn't a bad idea but should be avoided.

'Why do they want to seal up Unit 01?' He wonders to himself and, surprisingly, he hears a reply.

'I'm not sure, but I can tell your father wasn't pleased about doing it either.' Yui Ikari's voice calmly spoke to Shinji in his mind. 'He'd never willingly seal up his favorite Eva without some reason…'

Shinji blinks, 'Hello mother.' He thinks to himself, realizing his thoughts were audible to his mother. 'Umm, this is an awkward question but…what's it like being in the Eva?'

'Well…it's strange at first but eventually you get used to it.' Yui replies softly, 'It's hard to describe, really…' An image of her appears in front of Shinji, wearing her lab coat. 'You don't have to worry about me, darling. After reaching 500 sync, you can talk with me from outside the Eva…just focus on Unit 01.'

Shinji smiles at her before sitting up slightly and trying to hug her tightly. Surprisingly, Yui's body feels solid and warm, like she's really there. "Are you-"

'No, darling. I'm not ready to return to a physical body yet…' Yui's voice echoes into Shinji's mind before she vanishes. 'Or rather, I cannot yet.' The elevator reaches the bottom and Shinji lets go before walking forward and eventually reaching a large red cross, the same one Lilith was pinned to. Next to the lake of LCL is that machine Shinji noticed when he came down here for the Lance copy before.

'Mother, what is that machine?' Shinji asks her softly.

'LCL is necessary for synchronization with the Eva. That machine is using part of Lilith's DNA to synthetically produce LCL.' Yui replies calmly. 'Well, I think this is far enough Shinji. Go ahead and eject and I'll set you down.'

'Wait, you can do that?' Shinji wondered in amazement.

'Yes. The restraints on the Eva Unit mean nothing to me anymore.' Yui's voice whispers as the entry plug is ejected by her. Unit 01's right hand gently wraps around the entry plug and sets it down next to it as the Eva crouches down onto one knee and deactivates.

Shinji opens the entry plug and stares at Unit 01. 'Thank you, mother.' He doesn't hear a reply but has a feeling of warmth in his heart for a few seconds before it fades away. Shinji sighs before taking his A10 Nerve Clips out of his hair and begins to walk towards the elevator at the far side of the room that leads out of Terminal Dogma.

* * *

Ritsuko frowns at the camera feed of Unit 01 moving on its own again. 'Do the restraints mean nothing to her now?' She wondered to herself before going over the data on Unit 01. This Eva was likely the most problematic of them all to understand or control. After Third Impact, Unit 01 had a strange reading in its S2 Core but according to the Magi, it wasn't a threat to the Eva or its Pilot. Ritsuko just assumed it was due to being the instrument of Third Impact but something seemed off about the data recorded by the Magi at the time. Somehow, every scrap of data was within the margin of error that of what Ritsuko thought it would be…which was the problem.

The data seemed TOO perfectly simple (to her at least) to understand, and suspected the real data was deleted and falsified. When she used the Magi to calculate the probability of the data being falsified, it was 89.4 percent, strengthening her suspicions about the validity of the data. Surprisingly, Commander Ikari agreed with her theory that the data was falsified and ordered her to hunt down how it got deleted and who was responsible. Shockingly, the time was just after everyone's bodies were turned to LCL but before everything returned to normal. Worse yet, the computer used to falsify the data was directly linked to the Magi's mainframe, but when Ritsuko checked the security cameras, no one was there.

Ritsuko went as far as calculating the possibility that a human-form Crimson Angel deleted and falsified every scrap of data involving Third Impact AND the security footage recorded at the time and the Magi put the possibility at 9.3 percent. It was slim, but high enough to make Ritsuko nervous about it. If it was true, why not go all the way and delete all the data…or even destroy the Magi to prevent them from putting up a stronger fight. 'Were they just toying with us? Could they enter the base at will?' She wonders before sighing, picking up the phone, and dialing. 'I'd better let Ikari know that Unit 01 is in Terminal Dogma now…and about the Magi's calculations.'

* * *

"I'm bored." Sarah complains as she flips through the TV channels. "There's nothing even on TV!"

Patrick rolls his eyes before going back to reading his Manga. "Maybe you should do your homework. It's pretty easy."

"For YOU maybe, but it's a pain in the ass for me." The brunette complains. "I'm not smart compared to you or Asuka…heck, even Shinji gets better grades than me!"

"Then ask Hikari for help." Patrick suggests calmly, "She's pretty intelligent."

"I would but Toji's with her and I'm not interfering with their love life." Sarah scowls at Patrick, "Why can't YOU help me?"

"Because you should be able to do it yourself…you just don't want to is all." Patrick smirks at Sarah.

"Fine, be a lazy bum. I WILL do it myself!" Sarah snapped and rose to her feet in a huff before marching to her room and shutting the door behind her.

Patrick sighs before putting his Manga aside and rising to his feet. "Okay, I'll help you." He resigns.

Sarah smirks at him as she opens the door and walks out of her room with her math book and her science book in her hands and drops them onto the table. "Great. Lets get started then."

* * *

The moment Shinji returned, he was greeted by Asuka, who looked a bit put out. "Shinji…I need you…" she whispers into his ear, causing him to blush deeply. "To cook dinner!" Her shout surprised him and he fell into his butt. He blinks a few times before Asuka laughs and helps him to his feet. "Heh, I got you there, didn't I?"

Shinji chuckles softly, "Yeah…I was completely fooled." He admits ruefully before taking his shoes off and placing them near the door.

"That's what you get for thinking perverted things, Shinji." Asuka smirks before kissing him lightly on the lips. "I was serious about dinner though. I'm starving."

Shinji glances at the clock and just now realizes how late it is. "Oh, sorry Asuka. I'll get started right away."

"No need. Rei decided to cook tonight and is almost done." Asuka sighs, "Her cooking will probably be bland and boring but its better than Misato's food poisoning." She jokes, causing the both of them to laugh.

"I heard that, Asuka!" Misato snaps from the living room, watching the Japanese Comedy channel on the TV. This only causes the children to laugh harder and the purple-haired guardian to snort in annoyance.

* * *

"Well, looks like we finally finished." Hikari says happily before rising to her feet and stretching. It was then she noticed the time. "Oh no! I have to get dinner started." The class rep quickly dashes out of the room and into kitchen, which was connected to the living room.

Toji blinks, putting his homework, books and pen into his schoolbag. He makes a mental note to pack a few pencils into his schoolbag after he gets home. Toji rises to his feet and walks over to the kitchen entrance, watching Hikari quickly chopping up various vegetables at surprising speeds without making any mistakes. "Umm, Hikari? Would you like some help?" He asks softly.

Hikari blushes, "Oh, no. I'll be fine. You'd better get going before your father worries about you-" Suddenly, she hears the door being unlocked and two familiar voice enter the house. 'Oh no!'

"-That movie was great!" A young girl's voice cheered, "Thanks for taking me to the movies after school, Kodama."

Kodama smiles, her hair was a darker shade of brown than Hikari's hair but her hair going down a few inches past her shoulder. Her eyes are a lighter shade than Hikari's and slightly more blue in color. She was wearing her high school uniform, which was slightly different from Hikari's middle school uniform. She wore a navy blue shirt and a knee-length navy blue and white checkered skirt. Her schoolbag is black in color and she is carrying Nozomi's small schoolbag, which is red with a pink heart in the middle of it. "Oh, it looks like Hikari is home…and she brought a guest with her."

Nozomi giggles softly, wearing her elementary school uniform, which was just a smaller version of the middle school uniform. Her hair is tied into pigtails like Hikari but is a lighter shade of brown than Hikari's hair. Her eyes are the same color as Hikari's as well. "Hey Hikari! Did you bring your boyfriend home?" She shouts, causing both Toji and Hikari to blush deeply.

"I-It's not like that!" Hikari shouts back, still blushing. "I was helping him with his homework is all."

"Uh huh." Kodama replies skeptically as she enters the kitchen from the hallway door with Nozomi right behind her. "Well, how was your day?"

"Um, it was okay." Hikari replies softly before going back to cutting vegetables.

"Well, Toji sure is handsome." Kodama comments, causing him to blush faintly and look away slightly. "I'd say you got a nice catch, Hikari."

"Kodama!" Hikari complains, her cheek flaming. "Stop embarrassing me."

"Okay. How about I help you with dinner?" She asks calmly, putting her schoolbag on the table before washing her hands in the sink with warm water and soap.

"Thank you." Hikari mutters softly before looking at Toji, "You can stay for dinner if you want."

Toji shakes his head, "No thanks, Hikari. My dad's probably wondering where I am so I'd better get home. See you tomorrow at school." He was tempted to stay. After all, he loved Hikari's cooking, but something told him he'd rather not be here tonight.

Nozomi giggles softly before opening the door for Toji after he puts his shoes on and grabs his schoolbag. "Have a good day, Hikari's boyfriend." She says happily, causing him to blush.

"I-It's not like that!" Toji replies, unconsciously mimicking Hikari's own reply to that statement. "And my name is Toji." He walks out of the house and down the street as quickly as possible.

"Okay! Goodbye, Mr. Toji who is Hikari's boyfriend!" She shouts after him before closing the door and locking it. Toji blushed deeply, and was grateful he decided not to stay for dinner as he slowly walked home.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's that for now. I personally loved this chapter because of the Toji/Hikari moment…and the teasing by her sisters. Anyways, I've said this once but I'll say it again. The only thing that is true about Hikari's sisters is their names and if they're older or younger. Nothing else is really known about them in canon so I made stuff up. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	29. The Shadow Demon

A/N: Inspiration comes and goes with the wind, but this story will last and continue until the very end. Looking back, I should have started with one shots rather than a story of this length. I can't reverse the fact I've made mistakes, but I'll press on until this story is done. Anyways, I'm rambling. Onto the show (So to speak…)

A/A/N: Anyways, I'm having the temptation to try doing this entire story over…but WITHOUT any OCs (Except the villains, of course). Also, there is Manga-only content in this chapter…and I've been shifting the focus back to the main characters rather than my OCs so that's a plus.

Announcement: Manga hosting sites are being closed down so now I'm in a state of depression…

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

"How is this fight fair?" Asuka demanded angrily as her Eva ducks behind a mountain range, which is soon incinerated by an energy beam. She quickly jumps to the right, barely avoiding the attack.

"Seriously!" Sarah shouted, firing a barrage of positron rifle shots at the target, which easily blocks them with his AT Field before shifting form. "Oh sh-" she is unable to finish the statement before her Eva is hit by an energy blast, effectively killing her.

The target resembles a octahedron in normal form, but constantly shifts its shape in order to attack. The target's name was Ramiel (Rebuild of Evangelion version) and currently Unit's 00, 02, 03, 05, and 07 were in the simulation. Sarah mutters a few swearwords, her body feeling sore all over after being 'killed' in the simulation. "Ouch…" she mutters before staggering out of the simulation plug. Ritsuko had recently finished two more simulation pods and decided to have the children fight the 'improved' Ramiel. Obviously, they weren't doing very well at the moment.

Patrick smiles faintly, sitting on a bench next to Shinji as Sarah manages to walk over to them and sit next to her boyfriend. "You did better than I did, at least." He reminded her, remembering how Ramiel overpowered his AT Field within seconds of the start of the simulation.

Shinji stands up, walking over to the simulation plug the Sarah just left and puts his A10 Nerve Clips into his hair as Ritsuko has Maya reprogram the pod to sync with Shinji and Unit 01 so he can fight.

The moment Shinji's Eva appears on the surface, he sees Hikari get hit by an energy blast but managing to hold her own by using her Eva-Sized shield to guard herself. Unit 07 is pushed back by the blast and forced down into a kneeling position but still manages to block the attack. During that time, Unit 00 fires a Positron Sniper beam from a nearby mountain while Unit 05 also fires his Positron Sniper Rifle at the same time, both aimed at the target's S2 Core.

The enemy stops attacking Unit 07 and shifts into a tower-like shape with a large ring around it, deflecting the positron sniper rounds like a mirror. "No fair!" Kensuke shouted, "It couldn't do that before!" Suddenly, the target's ring rises above the tower-like structure before it fires an energy beam straight up into the sky. Black clouds suddenly blot out the faintly blue sky as 'morning' approaches in the simulation.

"The Angel of Thunder…" Rei mutters before opening communications with the other pilots. "Activate your AT Field and point them at the sky!"

Most of them complied, Shinji included…Asuka mutters something about 'taking orders from Rei' before also activating her AT Field. The redhead did so just in time to block a lightning bolt that shot down from the sky at her. The entire area is besieged by lightning bolts, but the other Evas successfully blocked them. Hikari comes up with an idea as the lightning bolts continue to rain from the heavens. She tips her shield, charged with her AT Field, at a 45 degree angle, deflecting the lightning bolt from the shield and at Ramiel.

Needless to say, Ramiel screamed in pain from the attack, but his S2 Core wasn't damaged by the attack. His entire body sparked, paralyzed from his own attack. Shinji grabs his sword and charges at Ramiel, as does Toji with his new axe and Asuka with her Heavy Prog Sword. Before they get too close, however, Ramiel snaps out of his paralysis and turns into his normal form before firing off a shockwave of energy at the approaching Evas. Shinji charges his Eva's AT Field into the blade and slashes down, deflecting the force of the blast past his sides. Toji does the same, but is much less effective at it. Though Unit 03 avoids damage, the Eva is blasted back by the force of the shockwave.

Asuka, sadly, was unable to block the attack in time and was sent flying backwards before crashing into a mountain. Ramiel notices this and shifts into a star formation, firing an energy blast at Unit 02. Just before it hits her, however, Unit 07 jumps in front of the attack and blocks it with her shield. Ramiel's attack intensifies, Hikari's shield slowly breaking apart around the edges as she is forced into a kneeling position. "Hikari!" Toji shouted as he charges at Ramiel.

What happened next shocked all the pilots. Ramiel shifted part of his form and fired a barrage of energy blasts at the other Evas. Shinji, who was meters away from the target, was blasted back from the surprise attack in the chest, knocked into one of the simulation Tokyo-03's buildings. Toji, unfortunately, was hit right in his Eva's head, effectively taking him out of this battle. Units 00 and 05 barely managed to take cover behind the mountains as the energy blasts destroy their Positron Sniper Rifles.

Unit 05 draws his Prog Knife and dashes from behind the mountain and at Ramiel. The Angel notices this and fires another barrage of energy blasts at him, but he sidesteps out of the way of the attacks, getting only small burns on his Eva rather than severe attacks. Units 00 and 01 grow two AT Field wings, also charging at the target. Ramiel realizes the threat of their approach and ceases his attack on Unit 07, now shifting his whole form into multiple points jutting out of its S2 Core with flower-like tips at the end. Suddenly, powerful energy blasts fire out of all of these tips, aimed at the approaching Evas. All of the Evas are unable to evade the attack and try to block it with their AT Fields or weapons, but aren't doing very well.

Meanwhile, Hikari gasps in pain as her Eva collapses, over two-thirds of her shield vaporized with the remaining amount heavily burned. Her Eva's hands, arms and legs were badly burnt, and Hikari felt every bit of pain from the damage. Unit 02 jumps to her feet and grows two AT Field wings before flying at Ramiel, charging her AT Field into her Heavy Prog Sword. Ramiel notices her approach and fires and energy blast at her, but Unit 02 deflects it with an AT Field charged Heavy Prog Sword. Ramiel immediately tries to shift form into something defensive but is too late. Unit 02 cuts straight through Ramiel's body and S2 Core, causing it to explode in the form of an energy cross.

Speaker: "Simulation is now over. Units 03, 04, and 06 were defeated. Target: Ramiel was defeated. Victory goes to Nerv."

* * *

Misato sighs, "That could have gone better." she mutters, glancing at the pilots scores. Rei, Shinji, and Asuka reached 300 sync. Toji was at 87, Kensuke reached 100, Patrick and Sarah were both at 79. Hikari was at a score of 85. 'Patrick and Sarah need to train more in order to get better scores. Hikari's sync increase rate is almost as fast as Shinji's when he first joined.'

"Good job everyone." Ritsuko complimented, "Everyone is free to leave for the day…except Sarah and Patrick." she added flatly. "You two are staying here an extra hour after each training session."

"What?" Sarah and Patrick demanded in unison as the other pilots decided to leave before the shouting started.

* * *

"I'd hate to be in their shoes." Asuka muttered as the three original Eva Pilots walk home to Misato's apartment. "Though why are you stuck training with us even though you won't be able to pilot?" Her question was directed at the boy she loved, Shinji.

He frowns slightly, "I think he wants me to practice in case the U.N. changes its mind about this…or maybe he plans to defy them, like he did with SEELE."

"Makes sense…" Asuka replied with a snort in her response, "Commander Ikari isn't the most trustworthy individual out there. What the hell was he trying to accomplish with Third Impact anyways?"

Shinji flinches slightly, the memory from when his father rescued him from the JSSDF forces. 'The only light God ever gave me was Yui…but in a single instant, she was taken away from me.' Shinji remembers his father's words. 'When this history of mankind comes to an end, the mission imposed on me as Commander of Nerv is to act as a savior from God. But…I do not wish for God's salvation. What I wish for is revenge upon God. Shinji…I do not want to be reborn as God's child. I want to BECOME God. Then I'll never lose anything every again.'

"Hey Shinji!" Asuka shouted into his ear, causing him to snap out of his memory. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, sorry for tuning you out like that…" Shinji apologizes in a soft voice. "It wasn't anything important."

Asuka glares at the boy, "Don't lie to me, Shinji. I can tell when something is bothering you."

"I'm sorry, Asuka." Shinji apologizes, "I was just remembering something my father said before Third Impact…and I don't want to talk about it."

The old Asuka would have poked and prodded Shinji for the information, but she respected Shinji enough to not let her curiosity to get the better of her. After all, she had topics she'd rather not talk about either…like her mother's suicide. "Okay. I understand." She replies softly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kensuke, Toji, and Hikari are walking home together. It was unusual for her to walk home with either of them, but she wanted to spend more time with Toji. When Kensuke asked why she was walking with them, Hikari used the reasonable excuse that she was walking home in the same direction as them today, which was true.

"Geez, why'd that guy have to be so strong?" Kensuke complains, "He wasn't that strong before." After he was admitted into Nerv as a pilot, he didn't need to use his Dad's computer to hack into Nerv (Or try, at least) to find out information on the Evas and Angels. He thoroughly scanned the data on each of the Angels at least three times, so he knew them at least as much as the original three pilots did. "I understand they wanted to raise the difficulty, but that was unreasonably tough."

"Geez, Kensuke." Hikari replied scornfully, "Could you stop complaining already? If anyone has a right to complain, it's Toji because he got defeated."

"Yeah…besides, you were more prepared for that battle than I was." Toji pointed out, "Didn't you read through the previous Angel's data about fifty times?"

"Three times at least for all of them…though some of the later ones I read through five times." Kensuke replies calmly, "You should really look through them sometime…the same with the Eva data."

Hikari actually rolls her eyes, "Now, if you as focused with school as you are with the Evas and Angels, then your grades would be in the A's rather than in the B's and C's."

"Hey! At least I'm not obsessed with school like you are!" Kensuke retorts.

Hikari levels a glare at her fellow pilot. "I am NOT obsessed with school, but you are obsessed with the Evas."

Both of them glare at each other before turning away. Toji decided to break the silence, "Hikari, could you help me with my homework tomorrow?" Tomorrow was the weekend, so there wouldn't be much trouble with the idea.

Hikari hesitates before nodding, "Of course, Toji. I'll need to check with my sisters but it should be okay." Yesterday, her younger sister Nozomi wouldn't stop teasing her about Toji, going so far as to sing 'Hikari and Toji sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G…' until her older sister Kodama told her to stop. She was more mature about it, but still teased Hikari about it because she was ALONE in the house with Toji. The implications of what could have happened were enough to make the class rep blush.

Kensuke shrugs, all three of them stopping at the corner of a street and waiting for the light to change. "Well, this is as far as I'm going." He remarks, turning and walking down the street. "Seeya later, Toji!"

"Seeya, Kensuke." Toji calls after him as the crossing light turns green and both Hikari and Toji walk across together. As the two of them crossed the street, Hikari finally cleared her head of what happened yesterday. She noticed Kensuke walking down the street while she and Toji were crossing it, causing her to blush. She didn't know that Kensuke's house would be closer to Nerv's exit and she would be walking with Toji by himself. "Umm, Hikari?"

Hikari jumped slightly, "Oh, what is it Toji?" she asks quickly, getting her mind off of the current situation.

"I'm sorry if I caused any problems for you yesterday…with your sisters, I mean." Toji replies softly.

Hikari shakes her head. "No. They're always like that." She smiles fondly, "Nozomi always acts immature and carefree about life. Sometimes, I envy that carefree personality of hers." Hikari shakes her head after saying that, "Kodama acts very mature and understanding for her age. She used to be like I am but because we lost our parents, she took over as the woman of the house by working to provide money for food and clothing. Though, she has her odd moments of immaturity from growing up so fast." She sighs, "I really admire her and wish that I could be more like her."

Toji stops walking and shakes his head, "Don't say things like that, class rep." Hikari blinks, staring at Toji with a slightly surprised expression as she also stops. "Sure, you aren't as carefree as your younger sister or as mature as your older sister, but you're still a kind person." Toji blushes faintly, scratching his cheek and avoiding Hikari's gaze. "I think you're perfect just the way you are, Hikari."

Hikari suddenly hugs Toji tightly, causing the both of them to blush. "T-Thank you, Toji…" Hikari manages to choke out, holding back her tears. Deep down, she felt like she wasn't as great as her sisters were…but Toji said she was perfect the way she was, causing tears of happiness to fall from her eyes. Hikari decided to tell Toji how she felt, here and now. "T-Toji…I-"

However, as she was saying it, the city alarm sounded, drowning out her words. "Hikari?" Toji whispered softly into her ear, loud enough for her to hear. "I didn't hear you. Can you repeat yourself?"

She shakes her head, a faint smile and blush on her face as she brushes her tears away with her hand. "I'll tell you later. It looks like we're under attack again."

"Oh, right." Toji nods, rushing back the way he came with Hikari right behind him.

* * *

"We JUST got done with the tests!" Asuka complained loudly as Hikari and Toji rushed into the main command center. "Why are we stuck fighting ANOTHER Crimson Angel?"

"Look, we don't choose when they show up on our doorstep so stop complaining." Misato snaps, glaring at the redhead. The other pilots are also there, mainly to watch the fireworks going off between Asuka and Misato. "All of you better suit up." She states calmly, the almost all the pilots leaving the room to suit up immediately. "And yes, you too Shinji…Just in case." The Third Child nods and rushes out the door behind his fellow pilots. She opens communications with Units 04 and 06, since they were able to be launched faster due to the pilots already at Nerv and suited up. "Okay, you two. Backup will be there soon."

"Good." Patrick replies tersely, his Eva ducking under an incoming energy spear fired at him from a horrendous creature. The Crimson Angel's body looks like that of a deformed humanoid shape with a mass of tentacles growing out of its back, gathering electrical energy from the nearby power storage station that stands five meters outside the city and is against a mountainside. The target's S2 Core is in the center of its chest.

"Tell them to pick up the pace then!" Sarah shouts, watching as the creature creates multiple energy spears that float around his body and made from the energy siphoned from the power storage station and throws them at the Evas. Sarah sidesteps one with ease but immediately ducks low, barely avoiding another energy spear. A third energy spear gashes into the Eva's upper right arm. Unit 04 brings up his AT Field and is just able to block the spears before collapsing onto one knee.

"MINE!" The creature roars, firing an energy blast from his S2 Core that's aimed at Unit 04. Patrick pulls his Eva's AT Field up quickly, but the blast causes cracks in the barrier to appear as he is steadily pushed backwards. "Just die, you ignorant brat!" The Crimson Angel snaps before screaming in pain as Unit 06 severs some of the tentacles with her Prog Spear before jumping away, not planning to be in range of a counterattack.

"Hey, dumb ass!" Sarah snapped at the creature, "He's not the only enemy you're fighting!" The creature stops firing his energy beam which was aimed at Unit 04 before creating two dozen energy spears and firing that at Unit 06. Truthfully, Sarah didn't really think this far ahead and knew she was screwed now. Suddenly, an orange Eva appears between the energy spears and Unit 06, blocking the storm of attacks with an Eva-sized shield. "Huh…that's Unit 07...Hikari!"

Hikari opens communications with Unit 06, "Looks like you were in trouble, Sarah." She notes calmly, "Sorry we're late." As she is speaking to Sarah, Unit 03 (with two AT Field wings growing out of his back) flies by the creature's back and severs just about every tentacle connected to the power storage station with the axe he took from the previous Crimson Angel.

The Crimson Angel did not enjoy that, causing him to scream in pain for about half a second before his head is incinerated by a positron rifle shot by Unit 00 that has taken a position on a nearby hilltop. Unit 05 fires a barrage of bullets from his Eva-sized railgun at the target's chest, which are blocked by his AT Field. Unit 02 appears in front of Unit 04 before charging straight at the target. "…It seems all of the Evas are here…" He whispers to himself as his head regenerates and reforms, "Perfect…"

Unit 02 is twelve meters from the targets and is about to slash her Heavy Prog Sword down at the target before the pilot gasps loudly, her eyes widen as she just barely misses the target on purpose and jumping away from the target fearfully. "How…Why…?" she whispers softly.

* * *

Misato frowns, seeing Unit 02 purposely miss the perfect opportunity to kill the Crimson Angel. "Asuka, what's wrong?" she demanded, opening communications with the redhead.

Asuka looked a bit unnerved as she replied, "I-I'm fine…I just hesitated." She couldn't say what was on her mind. As she was slashing down, she didn't see the target…she saw Shinji standing there. Asuka knew it was impossible but she couldn't help but miss an attack that would hit the boy she loved. 'It's impossible…Just attack that impersonating bastard…There's no way Shinji is here.'

"Hyuga, is the target doing anything strange?" Misato asks firmly, feeling that Asuka was lying through her teeth about the situation. She would never admit something was wrong, and Misato knew it because Asuka still had her pride even after all of what she's been through.

"Yeah…the target's AT Field seems more fluid now…" Hyuga frowns, examining the data being processed in the Magi. "But I don't have enough data on the effects on something like this."

* * *

"Hey, Asuka!" Toji shouts, "What were you doing out there? You had the perfect opportunity and you blew it!" Unit 03 swings his axe to the side before flies at the target. "I won't screw up like you did, though!"

Asuka chose not to respond, instead deciding to watch Toji's attempt at killing the target and if he was also effected by some illusion or if she just imagined it. Unit 03 was almost within range before his wings vanish as Toji misses it's S2 Core, cutting deeply into its side instead. "Looks like you blew it too, stooge." Asuka notes flatly, opening communications with Toji. She had to suppress a gasp at how scared he looked. Even SHE couldn't make him look that frightened.

"Sh-Shutup, Asuka." Toji snaps, staring at the target in horror. It appear in his eyes as Hikari and she was crying in pain from the wound that covered the lower left corner of her school uniform in blood. 'Toji…How could you…?' he hears her cry out as tears stream down her face. "Damnit! This isn't real!" He shouts in a shaken voice, unaware Asuka still has a comm window open to his Eva.

"…I saw Shinji when I tried to attack." Asuka whispered softly, glaring at the target with anger in her voice. "Who did you see?"

"…I saw Hikari…and I still do. She's bleeding and…" Toji chokes on his voice and wipes some tears out of his eyes, trying to advert his gaze. "…She's crying…saying how could I attack her…"

Asuka nods, watching as the target has already regenerated its wounds and charging an energy spear. "Get your mind off of it and put your AT Field up now!"

Toji focuses on his Eva's AT Field and barely manages to project it in time to block the energy spear, which he didn't even see. Suddenly, the illusion vanishes with the creature glaring at Unit 02. "Damn bitch. I nearly had him and you screwed up my attack."

* * *

"So…the target uses his AT Field to project a mental image at an enemy to deceive them and cause hesitation and shock, leaving them open to counterattack." Misato mutters darkly, "But it only effects the person who attempts to attack the creature. To everyone else, it still appears to be the Crimson Angel."

Ritsuko nods, "So it appears, but I doubt that's the extent of its power." She looks over the data. "I believe the creature doesn't use the illusion for long periods of time to prevent the enemy from becoming used to the idea that it's truly a deception rather than reality."

Misato opens communications with the pilots, "Everyone. The target will use illusions to catch you off guard in a psychological manner by using images of your loved ones. Don't hesitate in attacking."

* * *

Asuka smirks, looking at Toji. "So, if you saw Hikari…that means you love her, don't you?"

Toji freezes, blushing deeply at the redhead's statement. "…Yes…I love Hikari…" he mutters loud enough to be heard. "Now can we just change the subject?"

"Toji…is that true?" Hikari's voice asks hesitantly. Asuka smirks, having secretly opened a comm window in her Eva to Unit 07, motioning Hikari to be quiet before Toji's reply.

'Asuka, you bitch…' Toji thinks to himself before replying. "…Yes. I meant every word." He sighs to himself, afraid to what the class rep's reaction to his unintentional confession would be.

Hikari opens a comm window directly to Unit 03, noting that Asuka was nice enough to close her comm window to Hikari and Toji's Evas. "…Well…I can tell you what I said earlier today when the alarm went off." She takes a deep breath, her expression filled with resolve as she speaks. "Toji, I love you."

Toji was about to respond before Misato's voice cuts off further discussion. "This is very sweet, but we're in the middle of a BATTLE here! You can kiss and make out after the target is destroyed."

This causes both of the pilots to blush deeply and shout in unison at Misato. "Shutup!" Unit 04 struggles to its feet, having mostly recovered his strength. Unit 06 also rises to her feet, Sarah breathing heavily from the exhaustion to fighting this long. Rei fires a positron rifle shot at the target and goes through its chest, just barely missing the S2 Core.

She flinches, seeing Shinji with blood running down his chest. Rei had feelings for the Third Child, mainly because of Yui's DNA and the way he treated her in comparison to Gendo did. Shinji was the first person to truly be kind to her, causing this feeling of attachment. She loved him, not in the same way that Asuka felt about Shinji, but in the way a sister feels about her brother. She blinks, realizing that technically they were brother and sister due to both of them being technically born from Yui's DNA.

Unit 06 dashes out from behind Unit 07, preparing to throw her Prog Spear at the target when she sees Patrick rather than the target. 'Damnit all!' She starts swearing in English before putting up her AT Field in case it tried to fire another energy spear. The illusion fades away as the target realizing that these kids wouldn't be fooled too easily again.

Patrick closes his eyes before activating his Eva L.R. Program, causing his Eva's AT Field to channel and infused with the armor as the pilot stands up. He charges at the target, swinging his staff at it as the illusion of Sarah appears in his eyes, causing the staff to stop inches from the target's S2 Core. "Stupid brat!" The Crimson Angel roars, its right arm shifting in a blade-like form and stabbing Unit 04 right in the chest.

Patrick starts coughing up blood and tries to focus his own AT Field to blot out the pain. Suddenly, the illusion created by the Crimson Angel vanishes. He realizes what exactly the target is doing to them. "Guys! The target…he's channeling his AT Field into us and projecting a mental image…of those closest to us! If we use…our own AT Fields to block…out its influence…the illusion will vanish." He manages to gasp out that entire statement before the creature kicks him away.

"Damn brat…even if you discovered the weakness in my illusion…" He smirks evilly, "You can't counter it because the only pilots who can actually project their AT Field like that is you, Ikari's brat, and that half-Angel pilot." He glares at the hilltop and fires a massive energy beam at Unit 00's position, the Eva barely able to avoid fatal damage but its left leg is vaporized. "And since you just got enough injuries to keep you out of commission and I just vaporized Unit 00...I win!"

Asuka glares at the creature, knowing that Shinji couldn't be sent out unless Ikari had absolutely no choice. Chances are that half of them would be dead, causing Shinji to be emotionally unstable and completely vulnerable to the enemy's illusions. The only chance they had would be to either kill their emotions and attack what appeared to be the people they loved or somehow use their own AT Fields. 'Ugh, this is impossible!' She thinks to herself.

'Actually, the situation isn't as hopeless as you think it is, Asuka.' Her mother's voice whispers to the pilot.

"Mama?" Asuka replies hesitantly before shaking her head, "No…We can't just control our feeling like this."

'I was talking about your other idea, love.'

Asuka's eyes widen, "But…I thought it was impossible to do that!"

'You have the potential to do it…No, you've unconsciously done it before when with Shinji.' Her mother replies, 'But there's another thing I want to discuss with you as well. You can also reach 500 synchronization with your Eva…but like Unit 01, you'll be open to attack during the first time you try it. Do you want to try it now, Asuka?'

"…Yeah." She opens communications with the other pilots, "Hikari, I'll need some cover for a minute or two. Toji, Kensuke and Sarah…you three distract the bastard." She notices a sign of protest from some of the pilots, "Just shutup and trust me!"

Unit 07 dashes over to Unit 02, which shuts down before it's surrounded by a golden aura and floats into the sky. "I WON'T LET YOU!" The Crimson Angel roar as it reconnects its tentacles to the power storage station and fires a barrage of energy spears at the awakening Eva Unit. Hikari jumps into the air in front of the attack and channels her AT Field into her shield, creating an barrier that blocks the attack. Unit 05 fires a barrage of bullets at the target, but Kensuke hesitates and misses its S2 Core. Toji closes his eyes as he charges at the creature, swinging his axe at the Angel as he dashed past and trying to blot out the sound of the illusion of Hikari's scream.

Sarah started cutting the tentacles, tears falling down her eyes as she listens to Patrick's scream. 'It isn't real!' She keeps telling herself before being pierced in the chest with an energy spear, knocking her back. The Crimson Angel also fires energy spears at Unit 03 and Unit 05, piercing their armor in multiple areas, causing them to collapse.

At this point, Hikari is gasping in pain from keeping her AT Field up this long against an attack this is magnitude. A golden cross forms on Unit 02's back, shattering her shoulder holsters. Unlike Unit 01, however, it completely shatters and reforms as six AT Field wings like Shinji's Eva did.

* * *

Shinji hadn't heard a word of what was happening up there and was becoming nervous. Suddenly, Yui's voice spoke to him. 'Your girlfriend just reached 500 sync. That's quite a surprise but…'

The Third Child blinks, sensing uneasiness in his mothers voice. "What's wrong?" he asks softly.

'…It's nothing, darling. I just didn't expect something like that to happen to another Eva Unit.' Yui still sounded worried but Shinji decided not to press the issue.

"How is everyone doing up there?" He asks softly.

'They could be better but this battle is just about over with.' Yui's voice now sounded smug.

* * *

Unit 02 starts to float down towards the ground as Hikari's Eva falls onto the ground, the pilot gasping in pain. "Are you okay, Hikari?" Asuka asks softly, like Shinji, her eyes seems to have something different in them, yet they were the same as before.

"Just…tired…" Hikari gasps out painfully, her body feeling sore all over from keeping her AT Field up for so long. "I'll be fine…Go get that…guy…"

Asuka nods, closing her eyes and feeling something different in her. Almost…something powerful that has awakened in her. "You're dead, arschloch." Asuka snaps, flying straight at him. Suddenly the image of Shinji appears rather than the target. "Don't screw with me!" She roars, focusing her own AT Field around her body, shattering the illusion as she stabs the creature straight in it's S2 Core, causing its body to explode pointblank, knocking Unit 02 back and into the mountainside. What the explosion didn't vaporize of the Crimson Angel's body burns to ashes. "I win." Asuka mutters softly before falling unconscious.

* * *

A/N: Yes, the chapter is out later than normal but it was an exhausting last two weeks so cut me some slack. Anyways, our friend (insert: sarcasm) is called the 'Shadow Demon' because he 'deceives' foes. Sorry, I'm rambling…I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Read and Review


	30. Beginning of Darkness

A/N: Now I remember why I don't use all the Evas at once. It made the battle in the previous chapter seem cluttered and unorganized. At any rate, let's start this story rather than try another attempt at boosting my word count.

A/A/N: One last thing. The lack of reviews has made me a bit sad. More than about one review per chapter WOULD be nice. Anyways, I've decided to get the story of the Angels and Crimson Angels out already. I've stalled long enough…and I originally planned to put it in Chapter 25 but…stuff happens. Also a review pointed out a typo. My bad.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

The hospital room was silent except the steady beat of the life support systems and the shallow breaths from the two teenagers in the room. Asuka, like Shinji was after first using his AT Field, was now in a state of deep sleep. The Third Child sat in a chair next to Asuka's bed, his hand gently holding hers as he stares at the redhead with eyes filled with concern. The near silence was broken by a knock on the door. "You can come in." Shinji replies softly.

The door opens and Misato enters the room, looking at Asuka and then Shinji. "…Ritsuko just gave me an update. You and Patrick were in the same state after using your AT Fields for the first time…and you were out for six hours after pushing yourself to your limits after the battle with Chivalt." The Third Child nods, signaling his guardian to continue. Misato sighs, "Reaching 500 sync AND using her AT Field for the first time put a great deal of strain on her physical body, so she'll be out of commission for at least a week."

Shinji sighs, "It's already been four days…" He frowns, staring at Misato. "…This wouldn't have happened if I'd been out there fighting too."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Shinji." Misato replies firmly, walking over to him and hugging him tightly. "I care a great deal about the both of you, and that's why I don't want you blaming yourself for something that couldn't be avoided. Okay, Shinji?"

He blushes faintly, "I understand, Misato." Shinji was surprised that Misato just hugged him like that. "Umm, so how is Rei and Patrick?"

Misato smirks slightly, letting go of Shinji. "Well, the Fifth Child is being put in his place. Honestly, he's starting to end up in the hospital more than you did in the Angel War." She chuckles, "Ritsuko decided to take away his favorite toy, the Eva L.R. Program, since he was 'acting like a reckless, stupid idiot that doesn't care about his own well-being or the amount of money being used to continuously treat him in the hospital and repair his Eva.'"

Shinji chuckles softly, "How did he take it?"

"Not very well. I was surprised to hear some of the swear words he said after Ritsuko left the room." Misato replied blandly, "As for Rei, her left leg was burned pretty badly but it's almost healed."

The Third Child smiles and nods, "Good."

Misato grins mischievously. "Well, I have some work to do. Don't do anything naughty to Asuka's body while I'm gone, okay?" She laughs as she sees the blush on his face before leaving the room.

* * *

A young boy's voice is heard humming from under a short, black cloaked and hooded figure as he welds a length of metal together. Shalock's current project has nearly been completed, which is a small platform surrounded completely by view screens and control consoles. The Eva Manipulation Station (EMS) that will enable the user to control every single one of the Eva Series Units that Lord Varian had made from Crimson Angel DNA, all at the same time.

The room is the same one Shalock tried controlling Radmiir from, which is filled with computer consoles, screens, and wires. There is a knock on the door, but Shalock waits until he finishes his welding, which takes a few seconds, before he responds. "Come in."

Darvin opens the door, entering the room before shutting it behind himself. "I need to speak with you." He states calmly in an old voice. "Are you busy, Shalock?"

"Obviously you need to speak with me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have bothered me…and no, I'm not busy right now. What's up?" Shalock's childish voice piped out.

"Lord Varian wants an update on your progress." He replies flatly.

Shalock shrugs, "83% or so. It'll be done on schedule…as long as I don't get interrupted, I might even finish early."

Darvin nods, "Excellent. However, I have another concern. Someone managed to hack into the main database yesterday. I need you to reverse-trace it so-"

"Are we all just going to pretend that we don't know or something? SEELE is obviously behind it…with some help from Morlina. Both of them are getting to be a thorn in Varian's side." He pauses, "What did they look through and download?"

"Data on our Eva Series Units, the profiles and backgrounds for every one of us, our involvement on altering the data of Nerv's Magi during Third Impact…and a great deal more." Darvin sighs.

"Tell Varian then. I have to finish this quickly…then repair and modify my old neural interface helmet." Shalock mutters, "Now, unless you're here to help or have something else to say, get lost."

The Elemental Master scowls slightly at Shalock. "Actually, yes. One last thing. Varian wanted me to awaken Cybornac next but-"

Shalock smirks, cutting him off. "Yeah, and you need help with pulling off something technological with him, right?" Darvin nods, "Okay, give me a few weeks to finish this platform. After that, I'll work on getting Cybornac into Nerv…and THEN I'll repair and modify my neural interface helmet." He chuckles, "Heck, if I do this right, I might even finish on time."

Darvin smiles faintly, "Thank you, Shalock." He replies calmly before leaving the room and pulling out his cell phone. He dials a number and starts talking the moment it's picked up on the other end. "Varian, we've had a break in security at the main database. SEELE and Morlina are believed to be behind it. What actions shall we take?"

Varian's voice is heard chuckling on the other end, "I see…things are getting interesting. Do nothing…for now. I shall handle the situation when I return." He hangs up on his end.

Darvin frowns and also hangs up. 'The old Varian would have dealt with Morlina immediately. Why is he putting it off like this? Does he find it amusing?' He wonders to himself.

* * *

Rei sighs, staring at her Evangelion Unit calmly with a slight frown on her face. 'Two more left…then I'll tell him. The truth of First Impact…' She wondered why Tabris…no, Kaworu, want HER to tell Shinji rather than do it himself. She knew his excuse was very close to being a lie, but she couldn't help but feel she knew why he was having her tell Shinji. 'He doesn't want to speak with him face to face…because Shinji still regrets killing him.'

The information explained everything…First Impact, both of the Lance of Longinous, Adam and Lilith, The Seeds of Life and why two, rather than one, impacted the Earth…and also told her what Shinji had to do to end this fight should the worst case scenario happen. The worst case scenario…was one that had the Crimson Angel's Master, Sammael, freed upon the world with his full array of powers. These days, however, he had others names, such as Lucifer or the Devil.

Rei sighs, closing her eyes and remembering that fateful day all those years ago…

* * *

A young man, quite handsome, stood in the air with a black cloak wrapped around him with the hood down. About two dozen of his followers stood behind and below him, wearing antiquated black armor and red capes. A strange fact that seemed to be shared by all of them was that they had angel wings, though black in color. The young man smirks, his destination in sight. The Holy City of his former Lord and Protector, who would soon die by his hands.

The city was surrounded by a holy light, life growing in all directions around it. Beautiful scenery such as lush fields, dark green forests, and sparkling rivers dotted the landscape. As of now, his young man's followers had just left the forest and now stood on the lush plain, staring at the city straight ahead. Their eye color was all red, which seemed odd considering it seemed like it wasn't a natural coloration.

"At last, the time is at hand!" The young man in the lead shouted. "With the power granted by the world of darkness, a power that God himself feared and despised, we shall overthrow Him and rule this world! His corrupt influence on this world will end!" His followers began cheering loudly from his speech. "Let's go!"

Before they could begin marching forward, a voice called out. "Hello Sammael. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" The voice came from a white winged Angel who appeared fifteen meters in front of the young man in charge, causing his forces to draw out a variety of weapons.

The young man in charge, however, showed no signs of hostility except in his tone of voice. "I have discarded that name, Angel." He growls at the white winged angel, who had a hooded cloak on.

Smiling faintly, the figure pulled its hood back to reveal a very familiar face. "Yes, I heard about that. You call yourself Lucifer now…but you'll still be Sammael to me." Tabris smirks at him, his facial and physical features nearly identical to his future self and the only major difference was his eyes, which were sky blue in color. "So, what are you doing here?"

One of Lucifer's followers moves forward, claw-life weapons equipped on each hand. "None of your business, asshole." He snapped in a young man's voice, "Get lost, or I'll cut through you."

Tabris, surprisingly enough, smiled. "Ah, hello Seiran. You're still as short tempered as always." He chuckles, "You actually think you can beat me in combat?" Tabris looked amused.

Seiran snarls and jumps up at Tabris, who just projects a clear, rainbow-colored barrier that easily blocks Seiran's claws before Kaworu snaps his fingers, an energy pulse coming from the barrier blasting him away. The attack launches him just past Lucifer, who doesn't even flinch from nearby being hit, and Seiran is knocked into a tall tree just inside the forests behind Lucifer's forces. "…Your 'power of the soul' is still as strong as ever, Tabris." Lucifer states flatly, referring to his barrier, which (besides the coloring) greatly resembled an AT Field.

"Yes, I chose to perfect my own powers rather than corrupt myself upon the forbidden power our Lord chose to seal away." Tabris' voice sounded almost scorning.

"He is no longer my 'Lord', Tabris." Lucifer snapped at him, "He feared the power of Darkness, feared that it would one day destroy Him. Unlike God, however, I don't fear the Darkness and have accepted its power and plan to use it to kill Him and rule this land in His stead."

Tabris chuckles softly, slowly becoming a laugh. "Are you serious? You truly think YOU can win against God?" He face appears to be a mix between amusement and annoyance. "You won't be able to win against him, even with the power you've acquired."

Lucifer becomes silent, motioning his forces to march forward. They comply and three of them even go so far to hover in the air around Kaworu rather than march past him. One of them wields a cyan-colored shield made up of hexagon-like shapes, positions diagonally behind and to the right of Kaworu. The second has a dark grey lance in one hand and a black octagon shield with a blood red pentagram on it, positioned behind and on Kaworu's left. The last of the three hovers directly in front of Kaworu, his appearance similar to the Angel except slightly older, in his late teens with black hair and blood red eyes, in contract with Tabris' grey hair and blue eyes.

Kaworu sighs sadly, looking at the three of them and naming them as he looks at the three of them. "Gormarc…" He states softly, looking at the warrior with the cyan-colored shield. "Centuron…" He looks at the warrior with a lance and shield before finally staring sadly at the warrior in front of him, who is equipped with strange gauntlets with red orbs embedded in the center of each on the back of them. "…Brother…"

The young man in front of Kaworu snorts, "Don't call me that, Tabris. My relation to you ended when you refused to join with Lucifer's glorious crusade against God." The red orbs glow, surrounding his body with a crimson aura.

Kaworu sighs again, "Fine…Varian." He whispers, surrounding himself with a holy light, causing the three around him to flinch slightly. "Sammael!" He called behind him, catching his attention and causing him and his other forces to stop moving towards the Holy City. "Take one more step and you won't be let off with a warning."

Lucifer laughs, "Ha, you think you're a threat to me?" Kaworu turns around to face him, a smirk on his face. "What's so funny, Tabris?" He growls at the smiling Angel.

"It's funny that you thought that I came alone." He smirks as two dozen Angels wearing white cloaks, wielding a variety of weapons with many of them with the hood of their cloak down appear out of thin air around Sammael's followers. "And no…I don't think I can stop you, but He can." One last figure appears, wearing a white robe and surrounded by a pure, holy light, disguising his features but not his overwhelming and awe-inspiring presence.

Lucifer snarls beneath his hood, his piercing red eyes the only thing visible under the hood of his cloak despite the light pulsating from the glowing figure. "You…" He growls out. "I never thought you'd show up willingly, God. I though I'd would have to force you to appear."

The figure smiles sadly, his crystal clear blue eyes and expression the only thing truly visible through the light. "Sammael…you've fallen so far and have been corrupted by the malevolent power…but it still isn't too late." He states in a calm voice that is filled with comfort and warmth to the Angels but filled with scorn and power to Lucifer and his followers. "Please, forsake your friends no longer. Return to the light. That forbidden power has clouded and twisted your mind…but the damage is not yet irreversible. I do not wish to be forced to kill you."

"Kill me? Kill ME?" Lucifer laughs hysterically, sounding like a madman. "Don't put yourself in my league, you old fool!" He roared before surrounding himself in a dark sphere inscribed with red runes and symbols. Lucifer is heard on the inside of it, chanting an incantation in a strange dialect.

A few of the Angels' eyes widen before one of them, a middle-aged man who has blue eyes like his fellow angels with long shiny-blue hair, wielding a clear blue staff that reflected the world around him. "I won't let you use that forbidden spell!" He shouted, raising his staff and firing a massive blue thunderbolt at the sphere. Gormarc appears between them, blocking and deflecting the thunderbolt into the sky. "Damnit Gormarc, out of my way!"

"I don't think so, Ramiel." He replies softly, his shield glowing brightly. "Adamantine Rain." Ramiel's eyes widen as a barrage of crystals the same color as Gormarc's shield fire out at him and the other three Angels nearby. The hooded Angel in the group raises its hand and projects a clear barrier that causing the shards to shatter on impact and turn into ash. "…Shamshel. You've improved your skills…infusing the power of the Sun into your barrier to disintegrate anything that comes in contact with it."

The figure pulls its hood back, revealing it to be a young woman with short red hair. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Gormarc." She taunts, pulling out two sword hilts, which have no blades, and concentrates her power on them, creating an energy blade on each of them. "Now, don't make me fight you." She taunts.

"TABRIS!" Seiran roars, flying at the Angel after cutting through the trees in his path. His armor has multiple dents and branches clinging to it. Frankly, if the situation wasn't so serious, such an appearance would cause Shamshel to laugh. Kaworu's eyes narrow as Seiran approaches, but before he can do anything, an Angel wielding a long spear jumps up between them and kicks Seiran to the ground, but the Crimson Angel lands on his feet, glaring at the Angel who interfered. "Damn you, Sachiel!" His eyes widen as the Angel appears right in front of him, swinging his spear down at him, causing a jet of pressurized water to blast him into the air.

"Heh, you aren't worthy enough to fight Tabris." Sachiel comments blandly before jumping back, barely avoiding a black lightning bolt fired from one of Crimson Angels, who is wielding a serpent-like staff with the symbol of a lightning bolt at the top. "Raimar…"

Meanwhile, most of the other Angels have begun fighting Lucifer's followers. Spheres of darkness, purifying light, black flames, purple lightning bolts, and, oddly enough, musical notes filled the air. The music's source came from two figures playing a flute, two children that both had blonde hair, one was a boy and the other was a girl. They fought together against a young man that sent attacks from the shadows on the ground, but despite this, was unable to hit the two of them as they danced, song, and played music. "STAND STILL!"

"Why should we…" The young boy Angel commented.

"…When we are winning?" The young girl added playfully.

"Damnit! You always complete each others sentences! Do you KNOW how annoying that even is?" The young man demanded. "Israfel!"

"Were you talking to me?" The boy questions.

"Or were you talking to me?" The girl questions.

"Or maybe you were talking to both of us, Shalock?" They both asked in sync with each other.

"DIE ALREADY!" Shalock roared and, just as he was about to surround the twins in a sphere of absolute darkness, the young man was burned by a pure light coming from the sky. The source of this light was from the wings of an Angel, which glowed with a pure light. "Arael!" He tried to focus his shadows into a shield, but the light destroyed them as it began to show the young man the truth of what he was doing, causing him to scream in pain before the glowing Angel is blasted out of the sky by an energy blast, courtesy of a black hooded figure wielding a staff with three circular rings constantly rotating around a glowing gem on the tip. "Thanks, Radmiir."

The figure merely nods, jumping into the sky and fires a barrage of energy blasts at a group of Angels. Many of them use a variety of skills to either evade or block them. A black-haired woman, Leliel, sucked the energy blasts into a black portal, transporting the attacks to a different dimension. The figure's eyes widen as an Angel flies at him and tackles him in the gut with sheer power, blasting him away. The Angel was dressed in tight-fitting closes that were suited for close combat and had thick and strong gloves on. "…Zeruel." The figure mutters in the voice of an older man.

A/N: You know, I could continue this to show off the forms and abilities of everyone there but lets get back on topic.

Kaworu fires a beam of pure light at Lucifer, causing him to be forced to halt his spell so he could evade the attack, frustrated at the situation. He never thought that he'd encounter such resistance outside the city…and God just stood there, not even fighting. "Damnit! Varian, deal with Tabris!"

Varian nods, smirking as he punches one of the Angels in the gut and kicks him to the side, effectively knocking him out. "Understood, Lucifer." He flies up at the Angel and throws a punch at Tabris, a black-clawed hand materializing behind him to mimic his movement. The Angel barely has time to use his AT Field to block it, but is still knocked backwards from the force of the attack.

Lucifer resumes his chant, the sphere of darkness encircling him once again as he uses both of his index fingers to trace red designs on the interior. The plan was going perfectly. The only unexpected factors was resistance of this magnitude outside the city and God actually coming as well. This, however, made things a great deal easier for him. God was the only real threat to his power…and by finishing the spell his wove, the full power of the World of Darkness would be under his control.

God just stood there, staring calmly as Lucifer began nearing the end of the spell. He knew full well what would happen should Lucifer finish that spell, but was hesitant about attacking one of his former Angels. He didn't want to harm them when there was still time to redeem them. "Sammael, stop this immediately. This is your last chance." He stated firmly, causing both sides to pause, never before hearing God state words with such firmness that almost seemed to force all of them to their knees.

"NEVER!" Lucifer screamed, though his heart was troubled. 'Damnit! I've come too far to go back now!' He thought as his spell was finished. 'Yes!' He felt the World of Darkness' power slowly enter this world. Suddenly, a bright light blinded everyone present and, when it faded, they were no longer outside the Holy City…but outside a ruined shrine with a large, black Doorway that had an upside down crimson-colored star on it. The Doorway was slowly opening, a darkness that caused anything in this pure world to wither and die slowly creeping out of the doorway. "IT'S OVER! I'VE WON!" He screamed at God, who wore a sad smile under the light enshrouding his body before he begins to chant his own spell.

Tabris' eyes widen, realizing that God was going to counter the worst scenario with THAT spell. "Everyone! Get ready!" The other Angels nod, quickly ignoring the fights they were engaged in previously to teleport into positions surrounding the ruined shrine and Lucifer's army. Tabris jumped back, his expression nervous as Varian charged after him. He projected his AT Field in sync with the other Angels, creating an Absolute Territory around every one of Lucifer's forces and the shrine.

The barrier blasted Varian back, as well as any of the other Crimson Angels who attempted to break out. God continued his chant, causing Lucifer to become nervous. "I've won! You've lost! WHY DON'T YOU ACCEPT DEFEAT?" God finishes his chant, raises his right hand and a bright light in the form of a familiar object appears in hi hand before solidifying. Lucifer growls, "The Lance of Longinus won't seal the Doorway of Darkness again!"

God sighs, looking up at the sky, a bright light appearing. "Yes…but the Lilim's Lance will." He looks at his Angels, "I'm sorry to have involved you like this…but they can't be allowed to escape and the damage must be contained." The other Angels nod, having made this choice willingly before leaving the Holy City to assist God.

Lucifer was infuriated, looking up at the sky and confused by Go's words. There was only ONE Lance of Longinus! "What are you-" He began before his eyes widened in horror. A meteor, massive in size, was pummeling towards him and the shrine. "ARE YOU INSANE?" He screamed, very afraid at this point. "You'll destroy everyone and everything by doing this! Yourself included!"

"I will not die…but I will be forced to sacrifice both my influence on this world and that of my Angels." His voice is sad as He says this. The Angels here under my protection will lose their physical bodies, but their souls will remain intact. Lucifer, you along with this shrine and your servants will be sealed away until the new beings on this planet obtain the strength and power to forever destroy you."

"I can never die!" He roar with fury, his eyes widening further as he realizes his movements have been sealed. He truly understands why the Angels were here. They were meant to seal their movements and prevent the destruction from being too extensive.

"Goddess of the Lilim, send down your Lance." From the asteroid, a pure white spear falls at high speed and impacts the ground in front of God, causing the ground to crack and shatter from the presence of a second Lance of this world. God grabs the Lance with his left hand, the light fading away to reveal a Lance of Longinus almost identical to the Lance in God's right hand.

"Impossible…" Lucifer mutters in absolute shock as God throws His Lance to the south before throwing the Lilim's Lance at Lucifer, blasting him through the Doorway before to shuts tightly, the Lance vanishing and a 17-point seal briefly appearing on the Doorway as the meteor impacts the area, destroying the area. Shortly following the impact, the meteor impact causes part of the world to break away and form the Moon.

* * *

Rei shakes her head, sighing as she realized what would happen if that seal would break. The seal itself worked by using the lives of seventeen Crimson Angels as the base. God believed that if the Lilim, humanity, was able to defeat all seventeen of them that managed to survive the incident, that they possessed the power to slay Lucifer.

However, God was uncertain as to just how strong Lucifer would be after billions of years worth of time in the World of Darkness. In truth, this was a gamble more than anything else. Should the Lilim possess too much power, the Crimson Angels might be able to seize it to end the seal prematurely, allowing Lucifer to come back wit his full powers. However, God was betting on the second option, that the Lilim managed to defeat all seventeen, which would keep the Doorway to the World of Darkness from opening completely, limiting Lucifer's powers long enough to kill him.

Rei frowns, realizing that during the time she was deep in thought about the past that she had wandering into the small plaza that she had spent time with Shinji at. Her eyes were focused on the water coming from the fountain in the center. Looking at the information Tabris had given her, she noticed some holes in it. The location of the Crimson Angel's base was known to her…as well as the fact the Doorway was there as well…but the location of the Lance belonging to Lilith was unknown to her. That piece of information was given to her, but the knowledge of it vanished from her mind immediately, almost as if she wasn't meant to know about it. Worse yet, that information would be vital if the worst case scenario happened.

'What should I do…'

* * *

A/N: Feel free to complain about how I've taken so long with this chapter, but I've hit the bane of all authors everywhere at this point. Writers block. Anyways, don't expect another chapter for at least a month. Sorry.

Read and Review!


	31. Attack on the Magi

A/N: Now that school is back in session (And have some free periods), I'll be able to type in school, where I have my spurs of inspiration and actually WANT to type my fanfic. Truth be told, after getting home from school, I don't want to even BOTHER with my story…After all, I have other things I'd rather do instead. This isn't to say I don't like typing this story (because I do), but I find more interesting things to do instead.

A/A/N: I fixed a few typos. Sorry about that.

Anyways, let's start up this chapter already.

Disclaimer: You know it, you feel it, and you got it. I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

The room was small and compact, the walls dark grey in color with only a faint light in the ceiling illuminating the figure sitting on the small bed in the room. Had someone who had known him saw his face, they'd be amazed at how much his imprisonment had changed him. This man was the same one in charge of Unit 04's S2 Engine installation, and the cause of the tragedy of the day the Nevada Nerv Branch was wiped off the face of the map. Codenamed 'Tech' by SEELE, his expression of arrogance and eyes filled with pride had been replaced by indecision and fear.

He had been questioned severely for information on SEELE, but they were intelligent enough not to tell their agents nothing more than their mission, keeping their location hidden and destroying any trace that could help Nerv and Commander Ikari hunt them down. Tech had no way to tell how long he had been here, but he knew it had been a long time…a month or two perhaps.

The light began to flicker, occasionally blanketing the room in darkness. Tech sighed, wondering just how things had come to this. Suddenly, as the light flickers again, a black cloaked and hooded figure had appeared when the lights came back on. Tech, needless to say, jumped with surprise and backed his body against the wall, connected to his bed. "W-Who are you?" He asks fearfully, seeing the blood red eyes glowing under the hood of the figure.

An old voice chuckles with a smile visible under the hood from the light. "My name is Darvin, one of the Crimson Angels that SEELE takes orders from." He states calmly, glancing around the room with amusement.

"How did you….get in here?" Tech asked quietly, "Have you come….to kill me?"

"I don't plan to kill you, Tech. What I've come to offer you is power and a chance for revenge, if you'll take it." Darvin states calmly, pulling out a small red shard. "This is the last Resurrection Stone, which will be used to revive Varkon, the Thirteenth Crimson Angel."

Tech becomes silent, his eyes filled with some hope at this statement. "You…You're giving this to me?" He asks in a confused voice. "But…how do I use it?"

The Crimson Angel walks towards Tech, causing him to flinch but he doesn't back away further. Darvin pulls Tech's arm so that his hand is outstretched and he drops the stone into the hand. "The Crimson Angels need a physical body in order to take action. Over these many years, Varkon has never found a suitable host. However, unlike those that came before you, I believe you might be sufficient for it."

"So…how does that help me get revenge?" Tech demanded; his voice very quiet. "If he takes my body over, that won't get me the revenge or control over the power you say I'll gain."

Darvin chuckles, "I'll tell you something interesting, Tech. The strength of the will of a human allows him to be in control, so long as their goals are the same, allowing total control. This is an example of a perfect symbiotic relationship, which allows power greater than either the human and Crimson Angel could use together."

"So…you're saying that…if I have a strong will and my goal is the same, then I'll have complete control?" Darvin nods so Tech continues. "So, what is this Crimson Angel's goal?" Darvin tell him and the man smirks evilly, "…Perfect. I'll gladly do that…After all, I'm the perfect person to do just that."

The Crimson Angel nods, "Yes, which is why I came to you…" He pauses, "To acquire the power of the Crimson Angel, you'll need to ingest the Resurrection Shard, which possesses Varkon's soul." Tech nods, and just as he was about to put the shard into his mouth, Darvin's voice echoes in the room. "I'll warn you now, though. It will be a test of wills in order to control this power. There must be no hesitation or you WILL die. After hearing this, do you still accept this?"

"Heh, I have nothing left to lose…There is absolutely no hesitation in my heart right now." Tech places the shard in his mouth and swallows it. It was painful going down…and his body felt hot. Suddenly, to his horror, his body bursts into flames. He felt no pain, though…as if it was numbed. A strong presence was felt in his body, something that wanted control of him. However, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

* * *

"What do you mean they're missing?" Commander Ikari asked coldly, sitting in his private office and staring at the Section 2 agent giving his report to his superior. "It is impossible for someone to disappear for no reason. Question all of the guards around the timeframe from the disappearance of the prisoners."

"Understood, sir." The Section 2 agent bows and leaves the room, leaving Ikari and Fuyutsuki alone in the office.

"This is bad…" Fuyutsuki notes, a frown on his face. "To actually escape from Nerv HQ with no way to trace them…it's impossible." He glances at the report, "In some of the holding cells there was a pile of ash."

"Considering the fact they were searched and if we assume that the guards have nothing to do with this, we should assume this is the work of a human form Crimson Angel." Gendo states flatly. Suddenly, the phone in his desk rings, breaking the thick tension in the atmosphere. Ikari pulls the desk drawer on his right out, picking up his phone. "Speak."

A familiar chuckle echoes from the receiver, "Well, you sure know how to greet someone, Ikari."

Commander Ikari's eyes narrow, "How did you get this number?" He demanded flatly.

"Oh, not going to be nice about this? I'm hurt, Ikari."

"I see no reason to be civil with a Crimson Angel." Gendo replies coldly, catching Fuyutsuki's attention. "Now answer my question."

Varian smiles faintly on the other end, holding his cell phone absently as he stares down at a pool of LCL. "Come now, Ikari. Try to be a little civil with me. After all, I feel like giving you a little help with your search. You know, for the missing SEELE agents."

"I don't need your help, Crimson Angel."

"Yes, well, I'm going to help you anyways." Varian pauses on the other end of the phone, grinning evilly. "You know, this is the second time I've been in Terminal Dogma. Interesting place, huh?"

Gendo immediately hangs the phone up and hits a button on the underside of his desk, causing a large screen to lower from the ceiling. The Commander of Nerv hits another button and the screen cycles through the securities cameras until he stops it in Terminal Dogma. Fuyutsuki's eyes widen in shock at the sight, "How-"

On top of the red cross that Lilith was once pinned is a hooded figure with a cell phone, currently dialing a number. The moment he stops hitting buttons, Gendo's phone rings again and he pick it up. "Do you like my work of art, Ikari?" Varian taunts, referring to what Fuyutsuki was shocked about. Every one of SEELE's agents involved in the attempt to kill the Pilots was pinned on Lilith's cross the same was she was pinned, and to add insult to injury, the corpses were arranged in the shape of an upside down cross. Small streams of blood trail down the cross, barely visible against the red coloring.

Needless to say, the Commander of Nerv was NOT amused by being toyed with. The message Varian left was clear, 'We can do whatever we want to and you can't stop us.' Ikari's voice was cold as he responds. "I suggest you leave this base unless you wish to die, Crimson Angel."

Varian openly laughs, "You can't kill me yet, Ikari. Your pilots aren't skilled enough yet…but I think they'll get strong enough eventually…if I don't kill them first, of course." He bows mockingly to the camera, "Well, I think I've taunted you enough for the day…although, your reaction is priceless so I'll give you some information. Today, Cybornac shall do what the Angel of Terror, Iruel, could not. Farewell, Ikari." He hangs up on his end, waves at the camera and vanishes into thin air.

Fuyutsuki frowns slightly, "The Angel that hacked into the Magi?" He questioned, "Does that mean we'll be attacked in the same way today, or was he just toying with us?"

Ikari moves his hands away from his mouth, a frown on his face. "I don't think we can afford to take that chance. Have Doctor Akagi put up the Magi's external firewalls and do a constant sweep for any anomalies. We can't afford to lose the Magi at this point."

Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki nods, "Understood." He quickly walks to the door and leaves the room.

* * *

Rei frowns inside of the simulation plug, feeling something…off about the situation. It wasn't anything tangible, but somehow she felt a strange presence nearby…and it was almost identical to the Crimson Angels. "Rei, what's wrong?" Misato asked the blue-haired girl, her score dropping 4 points as her mind wandered.

"It is nothing. I feel a bit strange however, so may I see Doctor Akagi?" Rei asks in a monotone voice.

Misato blinks, "Well, if you aren't feeling well, go ahead. She's in the Nerv Command Center, busy with updating the Magi's systems. Should I go with you?"

Rei shakes her head, the simulation world around her where she was fighting a recreation of Shamshel, the fourth Angel, disappearing as she pulls the A10 Clips out of her hair and climbs out of the simulation pod. Hyuga watches the young pilot leave with confusion before looking at Misato. "Major Katsuragi, there was nothing wrong with her according to the scan we took before she started…"

Misato shrugs, "I know, but Rei doesn't usually worry about her own well being, much like the pilot of Unit 04." She replies calmly, watching as Patrick takes Rei's place in the simulation pod. "She must have a reason, so that's why I let her go."

"By the way, where's Shinji? He should be training as well." Hyuga pointed out.

"He's visiting Asuka. She should be waking up pretty soon." Misato smiles faintly.

* * *

The steady beeping of Asuka's life support system was the only sound in the room. Shinji sat in a chair next to the redhead's bed, gently holding her hand in his as he watched her with concerned eyes. 'She should have been conscious before now…What's wrong with her?' He wonders to himself.

'…Shinji, we have an intruder in Nerv…no, wait. There are two of them, but one of them is faint.' Yui's voice echoes in her son's mind.

"What?" Shinji asked out loud before correcting himself and just speaking with his mind. 'Sorry, but you surprised me, mother. Does he know about this?'

'About one of them yes, but I'm not sure about the other.' Yui's voice was slightly flinty. 'I'm not amused the way he's taunting us though.'

'Who's taunting us?' Shinji asks softly.

'The Crimson Angel leader, Varian.' Yui replies, causing Shinji's eyes to widen. 'Though you don't want to know what he did to annoy your father. Frankly, it's disgusting and if I had the strength to do it myself, I'd kill him right here and now.'

Shinji stands up, regretfully letting go of Asuka's hand as he starts walking to the door. 'What if I fight him too?'

Yui becomes silently, 'No Shinji. Even at 500 sync, we won't be able to fight him alone. He is at the same level that Tabris was and the only way you defeated him is because he LET you.' Yui pauses, 'Well, Gendo knows about the next Crimson Angel now because Varian told him before he-' her voice cuts out suddenly before shouting, 'Shinji! Hurry to Asuka now!'

The steady beeping of the life support system suddenly becomes erratic, causing Shinji to spin around sharply and dash over to Asuka's side. 'Mother, what's happening?' He asks her in a panicked voice.

'The Crimson Angel can manipulate electronic systems and devices. It plans to sabotage Asuka's life support system…so you'll have to wake Asuka from her coma immediately.'

Shinji's eyes widen, trying to keep himself calm in this situation. 'What do you mean? How can I do that?'

'I don't have time to explain to details, but remember the moments you spent together with Asuka while making some form of physical contact. The more contact, the better the chance of this working.' Yui replies quickly.

Shinji doesn't hesitate in hugging Asuka tightly, blushing at accidently brushing his hand against her breast. He pulls his mind away from that perverted, though accidental, gesture and remembers the time they spent together, how they could just so easily speak their minds without even opening their lips. A faint screech is heard from the life support system, which vanishes and the beeping stabilizes, but it was louder than earlier and more frequent.

Yui is heard sighing with relief, 'Nice job, Shinji. I suppose you'd like to know what just happened.'

'If it wouldn't be too much trouble.' He replies softly, not letting go of Asuka in fear of another attack on her life and, well, because he enjoyed being this close to the redhead.

'I'll start by explaining the effects on the physical body from using an AT Field.' Yui pauses, trying to word it in a way that Shinji would understand. 'I'm sure Tabris explained the concept but you were a bit…emotionally unstable at the time so I'm not sure if you understood.'

'Thanks mother for pointing out how bad off I was back then.'

'Be nice.' Yui chides her son before continuing. 'The AT Field is short for Absolute Terror Field…but in my opinion, it should stand for Absolute Territory Field. My reason for this is that the AT Field acts like a barrier around a person's mind, body, and soul. This allows humans to maintain their form and individuality, and as such weren't meant to manipulate it.'

'If that's true, then why can we use it at all then?' Shinji questions. 'I mean, if we were never meant to use it in the first place…'

Yui sighs, 'This is due to constant exposure to the Eva Units.' Shinji's eyes widen at this. 'Don't worry, though. The worst that could happen is losing your physical form, like after the Fourteenth Angel. That won't happen again though…you've become strong enough so that your AT Field won't break down from the high sync ratio.'

'Okay…so what DID just happen?'

'The AT Field, being naturally unusable by humans, becomes very unstable after first using it…not enough to lose your physical form, though.' Yui replies softly. 'Your 'coma' was due to your AT Field and physical body trying to re-stabilize after using it. This has a benefit, however. It allows your body to adapt to the strain and you can use your AT Field more easily.'

Shinji blinks, 'Okay. So I was asleep and my body changed so I could use my AT Field easier, right?'

'That's right, darling. Now, Asuka was in the same state as you…only worse because she also achieved 500 sync at the same time.' Yui whispers softly, 'What I just had you do was the exact thing you did when in close contact with her. Remember how you knew what she was going to say before she said it?' Shinji nods, 'That was because you were, unconsciously, breaking down and combining your AT Field and hers, allowing you to speak your mind without even opening your mouth.'

'Wait.' Shinji interrupts his mother's voice, 'If that's true, then how come we still had our individuality?'

Yui chuckles softly, 'You know as well as I do that there's different levels of what you did. Your body has a sort of 'safety device' inside it, preventing you from doing just that. It's what allowed you to keep your physical form after using your AT Field for the first time.' Her voice is filled with amusement as she continues, 'You remember when you talked with the 'real' Asuka during Third Impact and what she truly was without most of her barriers up, right?'

'Yeah…' Shinji blushes, remembering her feelings of pure love that he felt from the Eva Pilot at the time.

'Back on topic, I had you…'repair' her AT Field so her body could resist the Crimson Angel's attack and repair her body so her 'coma' would end, making the attack on her useless.' Yui chuckles, 'I'm sure you're enjoying the close contact with her right now though.'

The Third Child's blush increases and he lets go of the redhead, sitting back in the chair as the Second Child's eyes slowly open. 'That isn't very funny, mother.'

'I thought it was. Besides, she might misunderstand if you were hugging her like that when she was asleep.' Yui pointed out.

'Oh, I never thought of that…'

"Shinji?" Asuka's voice calls out softly, her eyes focused on the Eva Pilot. "What are you doing in my room?" She starts to look around, "Wait…I'm in the hospital again?"

Shinji hugs the redhead tightly, causing her to blush deeply. "S-Shinji, err, how long have I been out?" She asks in a stronger voice, a bit embarrassed at being hugged out of nowhere like that.

"A couple of weeks." Shinji replies, causing the redhead's eyes to widen. "You didn't miss much, though."

Asuka sighs, "I'll need a bath when I get home…" she muttered darkly, "Geez, I can't believe I was out for that long." The redhead looks at Shinji with a curious expression. "So, what did I miss anyways?"

Just as Shinji was about to respond, the alarm goes off, causing both of them to nearly jump from surprise. "Warning, base lockdown initiated." The door out of the room is sealed.

"What the hell?" Asuka demanded, sitting up at the edge of the bed and attempting to stand up but she instead begins to fall. Shinji catches the Second Child by wrapping his arms around her. "Ugh, sorry about that." She frowns, "Oh great, now you've got me apologizing for stuff."

Shinji chuckles softly before frowning slightly, 'Mother, what's going on?' He thinks mentally, but hears no reply.

"Shinji! Can you hear me?" Misato's voice shouts from the intercom on the wall at the head of the bed. "What happened to Asuka?"

As Shinji's hands and arms were occupied, Asuka hit the red button on the intercom to open communications from their end. "Why not ask me?" Asuka replied with faint annoyance in her voice.

"Asuka?" Misato sounded startled. "Oh thank God you're alright. The Magi said your life support systems were malfunctioning so-"

"Wait, WHAT?" Asuka turns to glare at the brunette. "What do you mean 'didn't miss much.' I thought nearly dying was at the top of the list."

"Well, I fixed the problem so-"

"What? Where's the medical team Ritsuko sent down then…and how the heck did you cure Asuka?" Misato demanded.

"I don't know…I guess the lockdown stopped them." Shinji pauses, "What's going on out there?"

"We're under attack. The Magi are being hacked right now but Ritsuko managed to buy us some time." Misato replies shortly, causing the pilot's eyes to widen. "At first it was just externally but after Ritsuko managed to cut of those connections it started from within…and we've detected a Crimson Waveform pattern. It looks like another Crimson Angel…but this time, it has infested the Magi rather than attack us directly."

Asuka started to swear in German so Shinji decided to question Misato further. "But why didn't we know about this sooner?"

"I'll start at the beginning…"

* * *

Fifteen Minutes Ago…

The Central Command Center was quiet, filled with faint sounds of talking and typing. Commander Ikari was currently not present but Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was, standing in is usual place. Currently, Doctor Akagi, with the help of Maya, was doing the task Ikari instructed them to do.

"I don't like this…" Ritsuko mutters as the Magi finishes its system reformat. No bugs or anomalies were found in the Magi. "If the Crimson Angels can just get into Terminal Dogma at will, then our defenses are practically useless."

"True…" Maya frowns, sitting in her chair in the Main Command Center with Ritsuko standing a few feet behind her. "I mean, how can we stop something we can't even detect with the Magi?"

Ritsuko sighs, "We'll have to post guards in central base locations…but not even that will be good enough." She looks over the Magi scan results, "Nothing at all…Maya, set the scan so that it constantly-" Before she can finish her statement, alarms start going off and warning lights start flashing. "What's going on?"

"Someone is trying to hack into the Magi!" Maya shouted over the alarms, which suddenly turn off but the hacking continues. "The communication systems just went down in most of the base!"

Fuyutsuki looked startled after hearing about the situation but quickly recovered. "Cut off any and all external connections immediately!" He orders. Before Ritsuko can respond, another voice echoes in the room.

"Ritsuko, what the hell is going on?" Misato shouted from one of the communication panels, a face of the woman appearing on the monitor.

"Someone is hacking into the Magi. Whoever it is knows exactly what they're doing too, because we've lost the alarm system and communications with most of the base." Ritsuko replies quickly, rushing over to the computer and typing rapidly on the keyboard, her eyes darting back and forth before hitting the enter key. Suddenly, the hacking, which had almost taken over Melchior, stopped and the ground gained by whoever tried to hack them as gone…except a single spot at the bottom-right edge of the scan of Melchior. Balthasar and Casper were completely untouched by the attack.

"External communications have been cut off…" Maya breathed a sigh of relief, as did most of Nerv's personnel, before Maya frowns. "Doctor Akagi…a small part of Melchior isn't under our control."

"What?" Ritsuko quickly looks at the Magi's status from her computer, frowning at what she sees. "This doesn't make any sense…" She turns to face Maya but Rei is right in front of her, causing the blonde to jump in surprise. "Rei, what are you doing here?"

The blue-haired girl doesn't respond, but instead turn to face the Magi below. "The enemy is here." She stated in a monotone voice.

Doctor Akagi looks baffled, "What do you mean, we've repelled-" Before she can finish the statement, the alarm sounds again. Melchior starts being hacked again, but at a greater rate than earlier.

"Crimson Waveform pattern detected!" Maya shouted, "It's inside Melchior!"

"What?" Ritsuko demanded incredulously as the base personnel attempt to stop it. Within half a minute, it is completely overtaken. "Damn!" Ritsuko shouts, trying to put up some type of defense against this attack. "Maya, constantly change the command codes in a cycle every ten seconds!" She orders, not noticing Rei as she stares down at Melchior.

Fuyutsuki frowns at the scene as the phone on Command Ikari's station rings. The old man picks the phone up immediately. "What is going on, Fuyutsuki?" Ikari asked coldly.

"A Crimson Angel has managed to hack into the Magi and is beginning to overtake it." Fuyutsuki replies in a bleak voice, "Should we shutdown the Magi?"

"We cannot allow the Crimson Angels to take control of the Magi. Shut it down immediately." Ikari orders.

"Understood." He takes the phone away from his ear and shouts down to Doctor Akagi. "Shutdown the Magi immediately!"

"Right. Maya!" Ritsuko pulls out a key and inserts it into the control panel as Maya does the same. "Ready? Now!" Both of them turn it at the same time but nothing happens.

"The Magi won't shutdown!" One of the technicians shouted from below, "It's not recognizing the emergency shutdown device!"

"The Crimson Angel is starting to hack into Balthasar!" Another of the Magi technicians shouted from below. "We can't even slow it down!" Suddenly, the alarm starts going off and the announcement, which is contained to just the Main Command Center, chilled the blood of everyone inside.

"Warning, auto-destruct sequence initiated." There was a brief pause between announcements, "Magi currently in deliberation. Melchior approves the auto-destruct sequence. Balthasar and Caspar disapprove the auto-destruct sequence. Unable to activate the self-destruct sequence."

Ritsuko swears angrily before her eyes widen at the sight next to her. Rei was surrounded by a faint white light as she hovers off the ground and over the control panels. "Rei, what are you-"

"I will stop the attack. While I do so, you must fight the Crimson Angel through the simulation system. It is the only way to defeat the enemy." Rei states in a monotone voice as she floats down to the ground in front of Caspar. Fuyutsuki merely watches in amazement.

"The Crimson Angel has taken over Balthasar!" One of the technicians shouted. "It's starting to hack into Caspar! We can't stop it!"

Ritsuko became very nervous. In most ways, this Crimson Angel surpassed Iruel, the Angel of Terror, in terms of skill in its hacking. Not only was it able to think rationally with intelligence like a normal human, but it could easily break through their firewalls and security systems at a faster pace than the Angel. Rei touches Caspar with a gentle hand, ignoring the curious expressions on the people around her. Suddenly, the faint light surrounding Rei spreads to the Magi supercomputer system in front of her.

Maya's eyes widen at the development. "Ritsuko…the hacking on Caspar has halted completely…" She reports softly. "I don't know why but…it seems Rei's AT Field just…stopped it."

Ritsuko's eyes narrow, using what systems she could to find out what just happened. Fuyutsuki informs Ikari of this new update. "…I see. The Crimson Angel must still be part organic, which is why the AT Field can stop it." Ikari pauses, "Have Rei hold it back as long as possible…and get Shinji and Patrick down there to assist her."

"Understood." This time, Fuyutsuki hangs the phone up rather than hold it away from his ear. "Doctor Akagi, summon Shinji and Patrick down here. Commander Ikari believes that we could stall for more time that way."

"Understood." She turns to the communications monitor and is slightly surprised to see Misato still on it. "You heard then?"

"Yeah. I'll- Wait, what do you mean Asuka's life support is malfunctioning?" Misato starts swearing after hearing that announcement from her end, "I'm trying to get in touch with her room but it's not working!"

Ritsuko nods curtly, picking up the emergency phone this is directly connected to the Nerv Hospital ward in case of communications blackout. "Get down to room 2-1 immediately." She doesn't bother waiting for the team to respond before hanging up. "Misato, send-"

"I would send Patrick if there wasn't a LOCKDOWN!" She shouted, "Fix it or he'll be staying here, Ritsuko."

Ritsuko sighs, "I'll see what I can do to restore communications and do something about the lockdown."

* * *

"…Obviously Ritsuko fixed the communications but…the lockdown is still in effect." Misato finishes informing Shinji and Asuka about the situation. "We had the technicians in the Secondary Command Center start cutting through the doors to get Patrick down there but there are at least ten doors in the way if I include the ones that come up during a lockdown…and they take time to cut through."

"Send someone to get us out of here then." Asuka demanded.

"I have…but they'll take more time than the team getting Patrick to the Main Command Center." Misato admits ruefully, causing the German girl to swear angrily.

'Always conventional means…' Yui noted calmly, 'Rei was smart by using her AT Field like that though.'

Shinji was so startled to have his mother appear out of nowhere like that again that he nearly spoke out loud…However, Asuka noticed his expression change. 'What do you mean, mother?' He replied by thinking the words.

'I take it that you remember how to charge a certain part of Eva Unit 01 with an AT Field right?' Yui responds, referring to Shinji infusing his feet or hands with his Eva's AT Field in previous battles.

'Yeah, but how can that help us here?' Shinji had a feeling about what his mother would suggest, but he wasn't sure if he COULD do it.

'You know what I'm going to suggest, Shinji. It's the only way to get to the Magi in time. Rei can't hold Caspar on her own for long.' Yui replies softly. 'I wouldn't suggest this if there wasn't another way. Trust me…you CAN do this.'

Shinji gulps, trying to calm himself. "Shinji, what's wrong?" Asuka asks softly, turning the intercom on their end off before asking.

"I'll tell you later on the way to the Magi…" He replied, walking in front of the door before taking deep breathes, focusing on his AT Field.

"What do you mean?" Asuka demanded, "We're both trapped in here and I know for a fact that there's no way-" She stops in midsentence, her eyes widening as a golden aura surrounds Shinji's body.

'Focus…just like with Eva…just focus on my AT Field instead…' The aura becomes more stable, a thin line forming around his body almost like an outline. 'Okay…my hands…' The aura grows larger and brighter around his hands, curled into fists right now.

"Mein Gott…" Asuka whispers, actually feeling the power of Shinji's AT Field radiating from his body. It felt…warm and comforting, yet at the same time, it felt like it was pushing her away…It almost felt dangerous.

Shinji's eyes open, and Asuka suppresses the urge to gasp in shock. Shinji's eyes weren't their normal color or even had the same kindness in them. They were red…not as much as Rei or the Crimson Angels but…it chilled her. It was then she remembered what happened when Patrick went berserk…according to Rei. "Shinji?" She calls out hesitantly, backing away a few steps.

A smile forms on his lips and his voice, while slightly different, still sounded like Shinji. "I'm okay, Asuka. This is the first time I've tried this so…" He breathes deeply, pulling his fist back a bit. "You should stand back." Asuka didn't need to be told twice as she backed away farther.

'Wait, he can't be seriously thinking of-' Asuka thinks before watching as Shinji throws his fist at the door. She actually expected him to cry out in pain…but he didn't…and the door was blasted off of the doorway and into the barricade around the hospital hallway windows that was put up for the lockdown. 'Holy shit…'

Shinji closes his eyes and the golden aura fades away. "Okay, let's go Asuka." His voice was back to normal and (much to Asuka's relief) his eyes were back to normal when he opened them.

"Yeah…let's go." Asuka walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek before holding his hand. Both of them walk hand in hand out of the room and down the hallway.

* * *

A/N: Well, I think that chapter went well. As I typed at the top of the story, I'm using the school computers to type this. I've given you my reasons why so I won't repeat them. I'm sure that you've missed my updates (some more than others, obviously) so I'll keep on my schedule of every two weeks. During my break, by the way, I've made a buffer of sorts so I'm not rushing to finish the next chapter a day beforehand. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	32. Defence of the Magi

A/N: Okay, you know the situation if you didn't skip the previous chapter. Cybornac as invaded the Magi's systems…Meaning that it'll be a pain in the ass to fight it. Will our Heroes succeed in taking the Crimson Angel out without losing the Magi?

A/A/N: Honestly, I didn't think this incident would take more than one chapter but…Well, stuff happens I guess.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.

* * *

Misato gapes at the security camera picture in front of her. It was the hospital room that Shinji and Asuka were in. Emphasis on 'were' because she saw Shinji surround himself in some weird golden aura before punching the door, made of steel and bolted to the doorway, into the barricaded windows before calmly heading down the hallway. They headed down the hallway and stopped at another doorway blocking the way through. This time, Shinji kicks that door out of the way with that golden aura again.

"Whoa…" Toji mutters in awe, "Remind me not to try and get into a fight with Shinji again."

"That's so awesome!" Kensuke replied, "I wish I could do that."

"Misato, what should we do?" Hikari asks softly, "I mean, should we stay here or go to the Command Center?"

Misato sighs, "I'm not sure yet. Commander Ikari will have to think of a plan this time."

* * *

Patrick frowns at the laptop screen, which is tied into the security cameras for Nerv, and watching Shinji's control over his AT Field. That REALLY dug into him…how Shinji could control it with such…ease without going berserk. Sure, he could excuse his lack of control from the rage he felt at the time but…

'What does he have that I don't though?' Patrick wondered as he leans against the metal wall and waiting for the technicians to cut through the next door with their welders. 'How can he have that kind of control over that much power without losing himself?'

From what he found out, Shinji had been through hell and back. Using that as a base for his capabilities in controlling his emotions, it was small. Frankly, the fact Shinji was in the center of Third Impact, an event NO ONE could truly comprehend, and still sane was a miracle. Patrick's life was much easier in comparison…and yet Shinji could control himself while he could not. 'It isn't fair…'

"Hey! We've welded through the door, so come on!" One of the technicians called at the Fifth Child, catching his attention.

"Oh, right." Patrick replies quickly as he closes the laptop, putting his thoughts aside and rushing through the cooled doorway that was welded through.

* * *

The strain at first wasn't that bad, but as the minutes ticked by it became more and more exhausting. Even having Angel DNA in her body wouldn't allow Rei to keep this up forever. The Old Rei, the one with Lilith's soul, could do this for as long as she'd like to…even be able to drive the Crimson Angel out completely and possibly match Varian in strength without an Eva. However, Third Impact caused Lilith's soul to return to her body, which now no longer existed in this world, before coming to rest inside Unit 00. The soul she now possessed was her own…something she was both grateful for and unhappy about.

Ritsuko stares at the First Child with curiosity on her face. How could a hacker be stopped by an AT Field? The answer seemed simple and when she had her technicians check the internal tubes of the Magi, her fears were confirmed. The Crimson Angel was a bio-electrical being that infused parts of its physical body with the Magi supercomputer, making it nearly impossible to remove without damaging the Magi. Caspar was in the best shape while Melchior was in the worst.

Needless to say, Commander Ikari was NOT happy about this situation. The idea of destroying the original Magi to kill the Crimson Angel was unfathomable to Ritsuko…and Ikari refused to lose it either. After all, it was necessary to have in order to effectively fight the Crimson Angels.

"Doctor Akagi." Maya's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Commander Ikari wants to speak with you." The Lieutenant was currently monitoring the Magi up above.

"Okay, Maya." Ritsuko calls up to her before heading to the side elevator and, rather than the control booth like where she usually is stationed, she heads up to the command booth, where Fuyutsuki and Ikari normally are stationed. Fuyutsuki wordlessly hands the phone to Ritsuko, who put it to her ear. "Yes, Commander Ikari?"

"Have you thought up a solution that would destroy the Crimson Angel but leave the Magi intact?" He asks coldly.

Ritsuko sighs, "If I had the Magi under control, then I wouldn't have trouble with making a plan. We tried using normal weapons against the organic parts but it just uses an AT Field to defend itself. Worse yet, the S2 Core is embedded deep into Melchior…we can't even reach it." She pauses, "Rei…gave me a suggestion as to what to do but it's insane."

"The line between genius and insanity is a thin line, Doctor Akagi." Gendo states calmly, "What did she suggest?"

"We reprogram the simulator so that the pilots can enter the computer system and fight the Crimson Angel on its terms." Ritsuko replies, waiting for Ikari's reaction.

"I see." Commander Ikari responds calmly after several seconds, "Can it be done?"

Doctor Akagi blinks with surprise, "I suppose so but…I'm not sure if it would ensure the pilots' safety."

"If Rei suggested this, then she must believe that it can be done with no chance of harm to her fellow pilots." Ikari replies flatly.

Ritsuko sighs, "Understood sir. I'll begin reprogramming it from here." She hands the phone back to Fuyutsuki before heading to the elevator and going down it until she reaches the control booth. Maya looks at her curiously, having not heard most of the conversation with Ikari. "Maya, we'll have to start reprogramming the simulator so that instead of the simulation world, we'll have it connect to the Magi." Her eyes widen in shock, "I know, Maya. This is a risky plan, but it's likely the best in terms of success."

'You mean the best chance of keeping the Magi intact…' Maya thought sadly, "Okay, Doctor Akagi." She spoke out loud, her voice steady and calm.

* * *

Asuka watched in awe as Shinji punched another door down before his golden aura vanished. He was breathing heavily, obviously exhausted by using his AT Field in this way. She wraps her arm under his arms and behind his back, supporting him. "Shinji, you should rest. This is obviously tiring you out a great deal." The redhead points out in a soothing voice.

Shinji shakes his head, "We can't wait, Asuka. Rei can't hold off the Crimson Angel forever. She'll need my help."

Before Asuka could respond, a voice that is quite familiar speaks to the redhead. 'You've chosen quite an interesting boy to fall in love with, Asuka.'

The redhead's eyes widen, catching Shinji's attention but he doesn't speak. 'Mama? But…how can you talk to me when I'm not even near my Eva?'

'It's because you, like Shinji, reached 500 sync with your Eva. This allows me to speak with you the same way Shinji can speak with his mother.' Asuka finally figured out what had Shinji nervous earlier. His mother probably suggested he use his AT Field to help him get to the Magi.

'Can you teach me how to do what Shinji is doing? I don't want him to exhaust himself like this.'

'I can't do that, Asuka.' Before Asuka could protest, her mother continues. 'Shinji has the necessary requirement to control it. It isn't perfect, but it's sufficient. The most important factor in controlling your AT Field like Shinji does is to be in control of your emotions.'

"Asuka, I'll be fine." Shinji whispers softly, kissing the redhead on the cheek before walking forward at a steady pace.

'But I AM in control of my feelings.' Asuka complained, unaware of Shinji leaving her.

'No, love. You are merely suppressing them rather than facing them. There's a difference between control and suppression. The Fifth Child used suppression, yet he went berserk when he used his AT Field in the same way Shinji is.'

'I can't just let him do this alone!' Asuka shot back, her eyes watering slightly as she brings down some of the 'walls' around her heart as to hide what she called weakness. 'I hate just being stuck watching Shinji exhaust himself when I'm stuck on the sidelines!'

Asuka's mother becomes silent. After several moments, a sigh is heard. 'Alright Asuka…you aren't ready for what Shinji is capable of, but you CAN give him part of your strength.'

The redhead's eyes widen, 'R-Really? How do I do that then?' Deep down, she wanted to help Shinji by doing the same thing he was doing but the fact she managed to convince her mother to agree to teach her how to help Shinji was good enough.

'Physical contact is important with this, Asuka. All you need to do is to open your heart to Shinji and be in close contact with him.' She pauses, 'Your current feelings are also essential in this. If you desire to protect him and focus on the love you feel for him, your strength will go to him.'

'Does that mean that if I had negative feelings towards…let's say that bastard Varian and I'm in close contact with him, what would happen?'

A chuckle is heard, 'Let's just say he'd be in for a bad day, shall we? I'd suggest you don't test it though…he'd never let you get that close.'

'Okay, Mama…Thank you.' She notices Shinji focusing his AT Field up ahead and punching another door down before collapsing to his hand and knees as the golden aura vanishes. Asuka wastes no time in catching up to the boy and crouching down on the floor next to his left side before wrapping her arms around his chest

Shinji blushes despite his exhaustion. "Umm, Asuka…what are you-"

"Be quiet, Shinji." The Second Child whispers, her own cheek red from doing this out of nowhere. "I'm going to help you with this…" She closes her eyes and takes her mind off the situation, focusing instead on the strong desire to help the young boy who has captured her heart. Shinji's eyes widen slightly as an orange-red aura surrounds Asuka's body. It was slightly unstable but still had form to it. Suddenly, Shinji feels lightheaded and his exhaustion fades away as strength returns to his body.

"Asuka…Thank you." Shinji mutters softly as Asuka slowly pulls her arms away from Shinji, breathing deeply as she opens her blue eyes and tries to stand up. As she rises to her feet, she loses her balance and falls against the wall on her right side, barely standing on her feet. "Are you okay?" Shinji asks with eyes filled with concern.

"I-I'm fine…Get going, Shinji. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes." Asuka replies weakly. When Shinji didn't start moving, she moves so her back is against the wall and shouts at him. "I said get going! You said it yourself, Shinji. Rei will need your help…and I didn't just weaken myself so you could stay behind."

Shinji sighs, looking a bit sad before gently kissing the redhead on the lips. Asuka closes her eyes and kisses back, wrapping her arms around his back. That kiss seemed to last forever, but it lasted only seven seconds, ending as Shinji regretfully broke his lips away from hers, gently pressing his forehead against her forehead as he stares fondly into her blue eyes. "I love you, Asuka."

Asuka smiles, "I love you too, even if you act like an idiot sometimes." She replies in a soft voice before giving him a peck on the lips, knowing that if she didn't get him to leave now, she'd want him to stay with her. "Now get going Shinji…I promise that I'll catch up."

Shinji nods before dashing down the hallway of Nerv HQ with Asuka watching him leave with a gentle expression on her face as she slowly slides down on the wall until she reaches the ground, her legs bent in front of her and her bottom touching the floor. 'Mein Gott, that was exhausting.' She thought.

'You did a good job, Asuka.' Kyoko, Asuka's mother, said to her daughter with pride in her voice. 'But you gave him a bit much in my opinion. After all, there's no need to drain yourself of every ounce of non-essential energy like that.'

Asuka shrugs weakly, 'It's not like I would be able to do much to help…I can't use my AT Field like Shinji or Rei can…'

'Asuka…this is the reason you aren't ready to learn what Shinji can do.' Kyoko whispers softly, 'Power isn't just in the form of physical strength or the strength of your AT Field…The strength of your heart is what's most important. The strength to surpass your limits or push yourself forward for a loved one…THAT is one of the traits that makes humans so special.'

Asuka slowly rises to her feet, leaning against the wall as she walks forward. 'I didn't really think of that, Mama…' She admitted, slowly following after Shinji. 'Can you tell me how Rei is doing?'

'…Rei is having trouble right now. She won't be able to hold her AT Field much longer.'

* * *

Shinji continues running forward, the AT Field constantly around his body at this point. During his time using it, her mother started teaching him certain abilities and traits gained by using an AT Field. A few to name were sharper senses, stronger physical and mental abilities. The AT Field could also be focused on certain parts, greatly enhancing physical strength or speed for that part.

The next door that was sealed in front of his path was being welded through, causing Shinji to stop himself from attacking. If he hit the door with the amount of strength he current had, the people behind it would be injured, if not killed outright. 'Shinji, Rei can't hold out much longer. If she loses, we might never get another chance!' Yui shouted into his mind.

Shinji looked baffled, 'What do you mean? Another chance for what?'

'To find the base of the Crimson Angels.' Yui responds, causing Shinji's eyes to widen. 'Ritsuko will have a difficult time, and a week or two of effort to trace the signal, but they can be tracked down as long as Caspar can remain mostly untouched.'

Shinji frowns, his golden aura slowly fading as he decreases the power of his AT Field and focuses on numbing the pain and protecting his right hand from damage. The pain in question would be what he did next. Shinji punched the door with his left fist, making a dent in it but not breaking through it. The boy cries out in pain, grateful the AT Field prevented a serious injury to said hand. The welding stopped immediately so Shinji waiting a few seconds before (and he would regret this later) punching the door with his left hand again, breaking through the left edge of the door.

"Who's there?" One of the technicians shouted fearfully from the other side of the door.

Shinji sweat drops, realizing the technicians probably weren't informed that Shinji could break through doors and he was on the way. "Shinji Ikari, the Third Child!" Shinji replied loudly, "Sorry for startling you like that, but Rei can't keep the Magi from being taken for much longer."

"We'll need proof that you are who you say you are."

Shinji resisted the urge to swear, partly from the pain his left hand was feeling and partly from the guy's stupidity. He didn't have the time. "Don't be an idiot. We weren't informed of another Crimson Angel in the base and he's obviously human." Another technician snapped at the first.

"There are human-form Crimson Angels too." The first pointed out. "They might be able to disguise themselves."

'Shinji, we don't have time for this.' Yui spoke quickly. 'Rip the door out of the way. Even if they try and shoot you, the aura acts like a barrier and will protect you.'

'Right.' Shinji grabs the edge of the door he punched a hole through and struggles to rip it open. He manages to succeed, much to the shock of the technicians. "Which way to the Central Command Center?" He asks quickly.

"The doors on the way are the only ones we cut through. Just head through-" The second technician didn't get to finish his statement as Shinji shot by him, running quite fast for a normal human. "…there."

* * *

Beads of sweat dropped down the young girl's face as she struggled to keep the AT Field protecting the Magi up as long as possible. Anyone who hadn't seen the First Child show emotions were in for a shock. She was both angry and exhausted, pressing her teeth together as she forces the Field to stay in place. 'I can't fail…' Rei thinks to herself. 'Not now…'

Ritsuko was amazed at how long Rei has lasted…half an hour of constantly using her AT Field. As much as she was tempted to watch her, she had a program to type…one that was nearly done, in fact. She hadn't typed that fast since Iruel, the Angel of Terror, had hacked into the Magi. Though, even if she managed to finish the reprogramming, it wouldn't do any good if they lost Caspar.

'I'm sorry, Ikari…I can't…' Rei's white aura slowly begins to fade from both around her body and around Caspar.

"Rei!" Shinji shouts as he dashes into the room, his appearance startling most of the personnel in the Command Center. His voice was normal compared to earlier but his eyes were still slightly red in color. "Hold on!" He focuses his AT Field into his legs and jumps forward, flying up to the floor with the Magi and landing next to Caspar and Rei.

'Focus your AT Field AROUND the Magi.' Yui says sharply to her son. Shinji nods, touching Caspar with his right hand before transferring his AT Field to the Magi and surrounding it. There was a sudden screech that startled everyone in the room.

Ritsuko's eyes widen as she sees the hacking done to Caspar vanish. "Shinji…you drove the Crimson Angel out of Caspar…"

The young boy was breathing deeply, already tired from rushing here in time and using enough power that he'd not only stop the Crimson Angel from continuing his task, but also drove it out of Caspar. "I can't drive it any further back…I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Shinji…" Rei whispers as she collapses on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath. Shinji was about to move to assist her but Rei's voice stopped him. "I'm fine…but if you don't focus on protecting Caspar, all the effort I put into protecting it would have been pointless."

Shinji sighs as he focuses on Caspar again. "Okay Rei…" He looks around the room, noticing another unsealed door in the Central Command Center that lead to the Secondary Command Center.

'That's the group on the way to get the Fifth Child.' Yui points out calmly, 'He'll be here in a few minutes to help…'

'Okay, mother.' Shinji replies before speaking out loud. "Um, Ritsuko…do we have a plan on how to kill the Crimson Angel?"

"Sort of…but we'll need Caspar and access to the Secondary Command Center first." Ritsuko replies. Just as she says this, Patrick comes dashing through the door leading to the Secondary Command Center, looking up at the Magi. When he sees Shinji standing there with a golden aura around Caspar he breathes a sigh of relief before supporting himself on the guardrail nearby from running all the way there. Misato and the other technicians run through the doorway just after him, going past the Fifth Child and onto the elevator.

When they reach the control booth, Hyuga and Aoba immediately get into their stations as Misato, after noticing Shinji protecting Caspar, walks over to Ritsuko. "How much longer until you're done?"

"Don't rush me, Major Katsuragi." Ritsuko snaps, just putting the finishing touches on the program she was typing and saving it onto a disk. "There. Let's go, Maya…I'll need your help with this." The young woman nods and follows her superior down the elevator and out of the room.

After catching his breath, Patrick immediately rushes up to the floor with the Magi and crouches down next to Rei. "You okay, Rei?" He asks softly.

"I am fine…Assist Shinji with protecting the Magi." Rei replies softly, shifting so she is sitting down instead of staying on her hands and knees. Patrick hesitates, fearing that if he used his AT Field again, he might go berserk. "If you are afraid, then transfer your power to Ikari."

Patrick nods before putting his hand on Shinji's shoulder and surrounding himself in a golden aura. However, unlike the malevolent feeling that came from him the first time he was surrounded by this aura, it seemed more like a soothing feeling as the aura transferred to the Third Child, rejuvenating his body and AT Field. The Fifth Child's eyes, however, were blood red before returning to their usual blue.

Shinji smiles, feeling the pain in his left hand slowly fade away and his exhaustion disappears as the damage done to his hand is healed by the AT Field. "Thank you, Patrick."

The boy nods weakly before leaning against the wall, breathing deeply from transferring the same amount Asuka had transferred to Shinji. "Yeah…No problem…"

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait!" Toji shouted in amazement. "You mean…we're actually going to enter the Magi and fight the Crimson Angel?"

"That's right." Ritsuko responds after relaying Rei's plan to the other pilots. "Don't worry; it's the same as the simulator…except you won't be controlling Eva's inside, but your own bodies, which allows a higher sync than normal, so I'd highly suggest you DON'T die in there."

"Awesome!" Kensuke cheered. "I volunteer to go in there!" His excitement was not surprising. After all, he had temptations to look into the Magi just to find out stuff about the Evas…but this way, he couldn't get in trouble for checking that information by 'accident.'

"Not surprising…but all four of you are going." She saw a few worries pass on the faces of the other Pilots and smiles. "Don't worry. We can provide support with weapons and armor to fight the Crimson Angel…and your Eva's AT Field works the same way as in the simulator, so you'll be able to negate the Crimson Angel's AT Field." The look of worry vanished from the faces of the pilots. "Okay, now head into the simulation pods."

"What about Shinji?" Toji asks softly.

"He's using his AT Field to hold back the Crimson Angel from taking Caspar, so he won't be able to help you…Rei, Patrick, and Asuka are also helping him do this, so count those four out." Ritsuko replies bluntly.

"Okay…" The boy sighs before putting his A10 Nerve Clips in his hair and stepping into one of the simulation pods. The other pilots follow his lead and also enter the simulation pods.

Ritsuko finishes rewriting the data in the simulator and smiles, looking at Maya. "Okay, Maya. You'll need to program some gear for them…I'll work on transferring them into Caspar."

"Right." Maya replies, typing rapidly on her keyboard.

* * *

The world almost seemed surreal, filled with darkness in the background at first before becoming filled with blue coding. A large bright red platform appears out of nowhere, the color impossible to be in the real world. Other platforms of various bright colors also appear in the area…and streams of blue coding fly forward in a compact way, so compact they appeared to be laser beams. The background becomes dark blue in color, the same color as the night sky after the Sun just sets.

Four bright light beams shine onto the red platform from the endless dark blue sky. When the light vanishes, the four Pilots that entered the simulation pods are standing where the light beams shot down, wearing their plug suits and a headset around their right ear. The virtual world was silent except for the sound of breathing. Suddenly, a loud voice startles the Pilots.

"This is awesome!"

The three pilots turn to glare at the source of the noise, and one of them goes as far as punching the person in the face, knocking the person on his behind. "Ow, why'd you do that, Sarah?" Kensuke complains bitterly, rubbing his cheek.

"Are you TRYING to give us a heart attack?" Sarah demanded flatly, turning away from the boy with glasses. "Geez, we thought you were the Crimson Angel for a second."

"Hey, he might have startled us, but that doesn't mean you should just punch him!" Toji growls at the brunette. "Apologize."

"Why should I?" Sarah demanded flatly, "He startled all of us but I decided to do something about it, unlike you…"

"Are you all done?" Ritsuko asks flatly, her voice coming from the headsets around the Pilot's right ear. "I'm not in the mood to listen to you act like kids."

"Sorry, Doctor Akagi." Hikari apologizes as she glares at the three 'children' with faint annoyance. "They act like this sometimes at school."

Ritsuko is heard sighing, "That figures…I was hoping they'd just grow up by now but I guess it was too much to hope for. Hikari, you're the team leader."

Hikari's eyes widen, "R-Really? I mean, I'm sure someone else could-"

"Hey, I wanted to be the leader!" Kensuke complained.

"Kensuke, zip it." Toji muttered, "Just let Hikari be in charge. She's the one best suited for it anyways." He smiles at the class rep, causing her to blush before giving Toji a light kiss on the lips.

"Thanks Toji." Hikari smiles back before Kensuke sighs while Sarah just rolls her eyes. "So, can you give us some weapons and armor…and where are we exactly?"

"Yeah. Maya is programming them in as we speak." Ritsuko replies calmly, "As for where you are, you're in the simulation program for now…and you'll be transferred to Caspar first before moving on to Balthasar, which isn't in as bad of a state as Melchior."

"Alright, Doctor Akagi." Hikari turns to face the three pilots. "Okay you three. Since I'm in charge, you'll have to obey my orders…so don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Toji nods happily, "Of course, right Kensuke?" He hears a grumble from Kensuke before he also agrees to Hikari's conditions. Sarah sighs and nods.

"Hello Pilots." Maya's voice enters their headset. "I prepared some weapons and armor." Four tall walls filled with weapons normally used by the Evas shoot up from the sides of the red platform they are on. Four orbs of light appear in front of the pilots, each having the number of their Eva on it. "Touch the orb to activate your armor system. It isn't perfect but it's the best I could create in such a short time."

Hikari touches her orb and her body is surrounded by light. When it fades, armor that resembles her own Eva's armor has appeared on her body, although changed slightly to fit her figure better. The armor only covered her chest, parts of her limbs, and her head. The head armor was a helmet that was vaguely similar to the head of her Eva, except instead of have a full front; it had a visor that covered her eyes and nose while her mouth and chin remained unprotected. They also had one shoulder holster on their left, holding a Prog Knife to use in case of emergency.

Toji gapes at the armor suit and blushes a bit…mainly because it outlined Hikari's figure in a very attractive way. "W-Wow..."

Hikari blushes "Stop staring like that and put your own armor on." She turns away and smiles faintly before walking over to the shelves with weapons and, after thinking for a few moments, takes a small shield that can attach to her left arm and grabs what appears to be a crossbow. "Umm, Lt. Ibuki…"

"Just Maya is okay, Hikari." The young woman replies with a smile.

"Okay Maya…I haven't seen this type of weapon before in the Eva Weapons cache. Did you just add this?"

Maya chuckles, "Yes. I decided to go all out in creating weapons…and even make some that our Eva's don't use."

"Is that an AK-47? Awesome!" Kensuke rushes over to the shelves, forgetting to put his armor on. Toji and Sarah touch their sphere, creating armor around their body similar to their Evas. Toji chuckles as Kensuke rushes around the platform and examines the various weapons as if he's a child in a candy store.

"Maybe you should have toned down on the weapons, Maya." Hikari giggles softly, "I think we'll actually need to drag Kensuke away for here."

Ritsuko is heard sighing before speaking, "Kensuke Aida."

The boy straightens up immediately and salutes, "Yes Doctor Akagi?"

"Take a weapon, activate your armor, and calm down." She orders firmly.

Kensuke sighs as he takes a machine gun and walks back over to his sphere to activate his armor. "Yes ma'am…"

"Much better." Ritsuko replies as Toji takes an axe identical to the one he stole from the Crimson Angel Revalt while Sarah takes a Prog Spear. "Alright Pilots, Shinji won't be able to hold back the Crimson Angel forever so you can't just take this as a stroll in the park. Finish off the Crimson Angel as quickly as possible, understood?"

Hikari nods, "How much time do we have, Doctor Akagi?"

"I'm not sure…but the more of the Crimson Angel you defeat, the less strain that Shinji will be under and the longer he can hold out. Right now, Caspar theorizes he can only last ten more minutes...at most." Ritsuko pauses, letting the information sink into the pilots. "That's the best case scenario though…he could be unable to continue at any moment now…so I'd suggest you get moving."

The shelves with various weapons lower under the red platform, much to Kensuke's grumbling, and a floating platform with a few seats on it and a control panel appears near the edge of the platform as an outline before it is filled with coding and solidifies. Kensuke's grumbling instantly vanishes. "Awesome! Can I-"

"No." The other three pilot snap in unison, causing Kensuke to sigh.

"Hikari, you and the other pilots just get on the platform and Maya will handle the rest. Understood?"

"Where will that take us?" Toji asks softly.

"Caspar…and then to Balthasar." Before anyone can interrupt, she continues. "This platform is necessary so you don't fall into the sea of data below…because if you fall, your consciousness will be lost and you'll be unable to return."

"Um, is this entirely safe?" Sarah asks nervously.

"Yes, now get on. We don't have time to debate about this." The pilots, some more reluctantly than others, get on the platform and take a seat. "I'd suggest buckling your seatbelts." The pilots waste no time in doing this as the platform begins to float upwards and flies straight ahead. Within a few moments, the platform reaches a large cylinder and enters it, blue coded data flying around the interior walls of the cylinder.

Kensuke suppresses his excitement, having promised Doctor Akagi that he was to stay calm. He watches as the platform exits the cylinder and slows down, now staring at their destination. The outside was almost like a large-scale version of Caspar's exterior, but the inside was filled with multiple corridors and computer stations, allowing one to access whatever data was needed.

The platform comes to a stop on a ledge just inside of Caspar, hovering above the ground as the pilots unbuckled their seat beats and hopped off the platform and onto the light grey flooring of Caspar. "Okay. Shinji was able to drive the Crimson Angel out of Caspar, but there might still be some rouge programs running around here acting like a security system." Ritsuko states calmly, "If you run into any, destroy them. Understood?"

All of them just nod, readying their weapons as they walk down the corridor.

* * *

Lord Varian stares at the computer screen tapped into the Magi with amusement. He is currently in the room where all of the Crimson Angel's computers, wires, and electronic programs reside. In the center of the room is the nearly-completed device that will allow control over their Mass-Produced Eva Series, while in the corner is a new addition, resembling one of the simulation pods that Nerv uses. Shalock grins as the Pilots enter the Magi, "This might be kinda fun."

"Your orders are to enter the Magi and download the data we require." Varian states firmly, "Avoid any contact with the Eva Pilots…and keep a low profile. You'll be more vulnerable inside the Magi compared to the real world."

"Yeah, yeah…" Shalock replies airily, opening the simulator and sitting inside. "I'll be sure to stay quiet in there…just make sure that Cybornac knows that I'm an ally."

"Of course." Varian smiles faintly at him before connecting the simulation pod to the Magi and uploading Shalock's mind into it. "Don't fail me."

* * *

A/N: Wow, I really didn't plan for this to span ANOTHER chapter…or get Shalock involved yet…but that's how the cookie crumbles, I guess. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	33. The Shadow Manipulator

A/N: This will be the last chapter of Cybornac. I'll have to say…this is definitely different than what Evangelion is, but I don't plan to do this type of thing again (in this story anyways…). Trust me, however. There is a reason to my madness and why I'm doing it this way.

Asuka's voice interrupted the author. "Is there a reason why you have ridiculously long author notes besides getting a higher word count?"

Vanpat sighs in resignation. "Great…I forgot to mention that since I've reached 50 reviews, I'm having a little extra thing in the beginning for the amusement of my readers…and a special extra long chapter that has 8000 words before me adding this little amusement in…so THERE, Asuka!"

Asuka smirks as he points out the flaws in his argument. "Three things. One, you're guessing ahead of time that they'll be 50 reviews. Two, there wasn't a good place to stop without a horrible cliffhanger. Three, who'd read this anyways?"

"Don't be mean, Asuka. His story isn't that bad." Shinji said softly.

Asuka scowls. "The first ten chapters, which he said he'd redo, suck! And even though this idiot-"

"Hey!" Vanpat protested.

"-Said that he'd fix them, he didn't!" Asuka cut the author off.

"Look, I have a busy life. It's not my fault-"

"Yes it IS dumbass!" The redhead snapped. "You have plenty of free time but spend it playing video games rather than typing this story. Your OCs are Mary Sues!"

Vanpat looked annoyed. "Okay, look. I added plenty of flaws to them so your argument is mostly invalid now. Shinji, could you read this Disclaimer for us before Asuka's PMS kicks in?" A heavy silence fills the air. "Err, Asuka. You know I was just kidding right?"

Asuka cracks her knuckles as she approaches the author. "Two words. Dog. Meat."

Vanpat starts to back away nervously. "Wait, Asuka. Not in the face. Not in the-" The author's face is punched in by Asuka.

Shinji winces, 'Good thing that wasn't me.' He turns to the audience. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion." He is handed a small card, which is given to him by Vanpat, which is twitching in pain on the floor. "Oh, and the author's new excuse for the extra long chapter is that it's been a year since we started the story."

* * *

Two blood red eyes open under a black cloaked and hooded figure as he tests his movements in this new world. The area, in contrast with Caspar, looked almost diseased as multiple tentacles were spread all over the walls, which appeared to be rusted. Behind the hooded figure was a large black door, similar to the on in the Crimson Angel meeting room, and seemed to be the source of the vines. A childish voice chuckles from beneath the hood as he turns around. "Cybornac really went overboard here, huh?" He asks no one in particular.

"I'd have to agree." Lord Varian mutters, his voice transmitted to Shalock through a headset under the boy's hood. "However, even if he fails at taking the Magi over completely, it'll take weeks to repair the damage."

"Yeah…which way to the main database access?" Shalock asks curiously, looking around the hallway he is in.

"Unfortunately, Cybornac damaged the database access inside Melchior…so you'll have to access the database in Balthasar instead…" Varian mutters darkly.

"You know, it's your own fault for not telling Cybornac to leave it intact." Shalock pointed out blandly.

"I'd highly suggest that you shut your mouth and get moving Shalock." Varian snapped at the childish Crimson Angel. "The Eva Pilots will likely head to Balthasar before Melchior, so it'll be a race against time to get to the database before they do."

"Fine...I'll get started…" Shalock mutters before walking down the hallway.

* * *

Half a dozen strange red orbs with what appears to be energy screens hovering around them rush towards the Eva Pilots. The hallway floor was grey in color and the walls were steel blue with a red doorway at the end of the hallway. It branched off in multiple places, which is where the red orbs came from. They charge energy, glowing as a ring of energy surrounds them and fires out perpendicular for the ring's angle.

Hikari raises her shield that's attached to her arm, blocking two laser bolts before raising her crossbow and pulling the trigger on it. The crossbow fires a bolt of energy at one of the red orbs, hitting it dead center and going straight through it, causing it to explode in a shower of digital data. Toji dodges a laser bolt aimed at him, hitting a button on the bottom of the axe he's wielding before swinging it at the orbs. The double-bladed axe head detaches from the hilt (though still attached to it by a chain) and Toji uses it like a ball and chain, swinging it into three of the orbs. The first two are cut through and explode in a surge of coded data, but the third moves its energy screen to block the attack.

Sarah spins her staff with her right hand as the pivot point, deflecting the other three lasers, which were aimed at her and Kensuke. The Sixth Child jumps and rolls out from behind Sarah, firing his machine gun at the remaining three red orbs, but one manage to move its energy screen to block the attack, the ones hit by Kensuke's attack exploding. Sarah stops spinning her spear and throws it at the remaining orb, but it moves out of the way. It begins charging energy again but, just before it fired, an energy bolt goes straight through it, causing it to explode.

Sarah pouts, "No fair, you all got to kill two of them…" She walks up to her fallen spear and picks it up before swinging it to the side.

"That's because you decided to try showing off." Toji mutters, ignoring the glare coming from the Pilot of Unit 06.

In order to prevent another argument from beginning, Hikari speaks to Ritsuko. "Doctor Akagi, what were those?"

"Those were the rouge programs I informed you about. They normally act as a security system for the Magi, but the Crimson Angel managed to reprogram a few of them in Caspar to serve it." Ritsuko replied, getting the attention of the other three pilots. "Don't expect them to be this easy, however. Caspar was the least affected by the Crimson Angel so most of the security systems and firewalls inside Caspar are under our control."

"Wait, why didn't they go after the rouge programs then?" Kensuke asks curiously, "I mean, it would be less work for us, right?"

"There was a chance of them also going after you because, technically, you are 'programs' that don't belong there. They'd see you as corrupt AIs and immediately try to terminate you." Ritsuko pointed out. "That's why I shut it down…I'll reactivate it when you get to Balthasar so that they can clean up all the remaining bugs inside."

"So…how do we get into Balthasar?" Hikari asks softly, starting to walk towards the red door ahead with the other pilots following right behind her.

"Up ahead is an access point that allows data to transfer from Caspar to Balthasar and vise versa." Maya responds instead of Ritsuko. "There will be a small circular platform that sort of sticks out inside. Stand on it and I'll do the rest."

"Okay Maya." As Hikari approaches the door, it opens automatically for her, revealing a half-circle room with the far edge goes down into the digital sea below. Ahead is a glowing blue platform in the shape of a circle, the far half of it hanging over the edge of the half circular room with a short stairway reaching up to the platform. Farther ahead and past the abyss is a massive dark blue tunnel that vaguely resembles a deep whirlpool with no bottom in sight.

"I guess that's the platform huh?" Toji mutters as he starts climbing the stairs and stands on the platform with the other Pilots also doing so.

"Okay. You'll feel a bit strange for a minute but don't worry." Maya reassures them before activating the transfer program. Suddenly, their bodies start disappearing in a stream of coded data, causing them to panic…except Kensuke, of course, although he was a bit nervous about it. After the Pilots had completely broken down, the streams of data fly into the whirlpool and vanish inside of it.

* * *

The room was similar to the one the Children were inside previously, except the walls seems slightly rusted in areas and dark green tentacles jutted out and covers the decaying walls in some areas. The whirlpool in this room, unlike the previous one, had a slight hue of deep purple with tinges of red in some areas. Four streams of coded data leave the whirlpool and move onto the platform, forming into a human shape before stabilizing into the appearances of the four Pilots.

Most of them appear shaken, "Holy shit…" Sarah mutters, touching her armor in some spots as if to check if she was really there.

Toji looked less shaken about it but was nervously checking himself too. Hikari swallowed hard and gingerly checked her own digital body. "Okay…that felt really weird…" She whispers softly, "I don't want to do that ever again."

Kensuke looked a bit weirded out, but excited at the same time. Before he could comment, Maya's voice caught their attention. "Sorry about that. The transfer is a bit unstable considering it was made last minute like that."

"I-It's okay." Hikari replies quickly, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"You didn't." Maya responds, "Anyways, you're currently in Balthasar…The best way to deal with the hacking the Crimson Angel has done is to head to the central database and open a one-way link from Caspar to Balthasar. We'll use the same program Ritsuko used to cause Iruel to destroy itself to try taking the Crimson Angel down."

"Would that really work? I mean, it's organic in nature so…"

"Caspar theorizes that there's a 67.9% chance of this destroying the Crimson Angel completely, but there is a 98.7% chance of at least purging its presence from Balthasar." Ritsuko replies. "After taking Balthasar back, the body parts inside of it will no longer have an AT Field or sentience to defend its body from damage."

"Huh?" Toji looked a bit confused.

"We'll upload the Angel-killing program, which will cut it off from the main body, allowing us to kill it out here and reverse the hacking done." Maya simplifies it for the jock.

"Oh, why didn't Akagi just say it like that?" Toji demanded. No one decided to answer his question, however.

"So, where's the main database?" Kensuke asks curiously before a mini-map of Balthasar appears on his visor. "Oh, thanks for the map, Doctor Akagi."

"No problem." She uploads the maps to the other Pilots' visors too. "The faster you get there, the longer Shinji will last and the less work I'll be stuck doing with repairing the Magi systems."

* * *

Misato (despite being in charge of operations for the Pilots) decided to let Ritsuko give the orders. After all, it would mean less work for her…and more importantly, Ritsuko was the daughter of the woman who created the original Magi supercomputer, making her the best person for the job. Even though she wasn't in charge of this operation, she winces when Toji gets hit by a laser bolt but relaxes when the armor holds.

"The armor projects an energy shield that will protect them from harm…until they run out of energy." Ritsuko explains calmly, smiling as Sarah stabs downward into a tank-like rouge security drone. "Afterwards, the sections of armor are only good for one hit each…after that, direct contact with attacks will hurt them." She pauses, "The chest armor is made of three different parts and the head is made of two, adding extra protection to their vital parts."

"Good…so, how much longer until they reach-" Misato's question was cut off by the alarm. "What the hell?"

Maya's face pales, "Caspar has detected a human-form Crimson Angel!" she reports.

Misato swears angrily, "This is the worst possible timing. Where is it?" the Major demanded.

"It's inside of Balthasar!" Hyuga shouted.

* * *

The room was massive in size with computer screens covering most of the walls with control consoles leaning against the wall. In the center of the octagon-shaped room is a raised platform with controls on every side. Shalock walks through the empty doorway and smiles, chuckling as he dashes up to the base of the raised platform, jumping onto one hand, and flipping into the air and landing in the exact center of the platform. "Ta-dah!"

"Stop showing off and get to work." Darvin's old voice snaps rather than Varian.

"Hey, where's Varian?" the boy asked curiously.

"He has sometime to attend to, so get-" The sound of the alarm resonates in the Magi as well as the Command Center. "…You were detected." He states flatly.

The boy shrugs, "Big deal. They can't do anything unless they try destroying the Magi, which they won't." He starts typing rapidly on the keyboard in front of him, multiple screens popping up in thin air.

* * *

"WHAT?" Sarah shouted, "You're telling us we have to deal with a human-form Crimson Angel?"

"Hopefully, we'll be able to avoid that. Right now, I don't think we could win without Rei, Asuka or Shinji." Ritsuko replies bleakly. "If you run into it, avoid a fight…only engage if you have no other choice, understood?"

"Wouldn't the Crimson Angel be weaker in here though?" Toji asks softly, "We can't use our Evas here, so we're weaker…but they probably can't go into that second form like Chivalt did, right?"

Ritsuko frowns, "Maybe, but I'd prefer to not take any chances. I'm not sure why a human-form Crimson Angel is in the Magi, but the sooner Balthasar is restored, the faster I can cut off his connection from the Magi."

"Okay Doctor Akagi." Hikari replies before looking at her fellow pilots. "Let get going." She leads the way at a fast walk down the hallway, the others following her at the same pace with their weapons at the ready. Just ahead is an empty doorway, which is their destination. Hikari stops and motions the others to stop as well. "Wait…I think someone is inside…"

"Listen, I'm working as fast as I can. If you have a problem, then you or Varian can do it." Shalock snaps into his headset, causing the pilots to nearly gasp in surprise.

"…I think that's the Crimson Angel…" Toji muttered, sliding up to the doorway and peeking inside. Luckily, Shalock is not even paying attention to what's behind him. The pilot of Unit 04 withdraws his head, "…It looks like a kid."

"Seriously?" Kensuke pokes his head out too before pulling back. "Wow…he's right. It's small enough to be a child but…is that really a Crimson Angel?"

Hikari opens communications with Ritsuko. "We believe that the human-form Crimson Angel is inside the main database. What should we do?"

The Pilots heard Misato swear angrily in the background as Ritsuko responds bleakly. "It's likely trying to look into the Magi for data on us. You'll have to fight it."

"…Understood." Hikari closes communications before looking nervously at the other pilots. "Okay, he's the plan. Toji, you'll attack him close range with Sarah. Kensuke, you and I will attack at a distance." She stares at them all, "I don't any of you getting seriously hurt…so if you feel you aren't able to continue, I want you to let the others know and fall back. Okay?"

They all nod in agreement, Sarah's face filled with worry, as was Hikari's. Toji seemed nervous and Kensuke seemed to be a mixture of excitement and concern. "Let's go." Hikari ordered, dashing silently into the room, going along the right wall and pointing her crossbow at the hooded figure's small back before firing multiple energy bolts at him. Kensuke dashes into the room as well, moving along the left wall and firing a barrage of bullets at the Crimson Angel.

"Hm?" An uneven barrier made of shadows comes up from the ground and blocks the attack. "Oh great." Shalock's childish voice mutters, "Now I've got to deal with you kids." His eyes widen before hopping back and over the control panel he was typing at, and axe and spear tip breaking through the barrier and, had he not moved, would have been hit in his chest area.

"You're one to talk." Toji points out flatly, "You're younger than we are."

"Ha, as if stooge." Shalock taunts, using Asuka's nickname for him. "I might LOOK like a kid, but I'm a few hundred years old." He puts up another shadow barrier, this time on either side of him to block Hikari's and Kensuke's attacks. "That won't work on me."

Sarah hops onto one hand, unconsciously and unknowingly miming Shalock's movement earlier to get onto the platform. She pushes off of it, flipping in the air as she swipes her spear down at the Crimson Angel, who creates a thin blade of shadow that cuts straight through the spear. The tip falls to the side as the spear is now inches from where his face is, causing the brunette to swear in English before jumping back, getting her armor shielding cut through and losing her left leg guard.

* * *

"I thought you said the shielding around the armor would hold!" Misato accuses Doctor Akagi.

"Against a NORMAL enemy inside of there, yes…but this is a human-form Crimson Angel. He's a great deal stronger than those rouge security programs." Ritsuko points out bleakly.

Suddenly, the sound of running enters the room as two figures dash through the doorway on the same floor as Ritsuko, Misato, and Maya are currently on, both of them breathing hard before the first speaks up. "Let me fight in there too."

* * *

Toji activates his axe's secondary feature, swinging it at Shalock like a ball and chain. The young boy sighs and cuts the chain into shreds of coded data, the axe head flying off course and nearly hitting Kensuke. "Hey, watch it!" The Eva Pilot shouted before firing his machine gun at the Crimson Angel, who just responds with another shadow barrier.

"This is pointless. You can't beat me in here…and the longer you fight me, the less time your friend will have to block out Cybornac." Shalock pointed out before noticing only three of them have been attack him. He looks at Hikari and his eyes widen, a massive energy bolt hitting him dead on and blasting him into the massive computer screen behind him, causing it to crack from the impact before he falls on the floor, face first.

"Pointless huh? Looks like you aren't as powerful as you think you are if you're getting your ass kicked." Hikari taunts, surprising the other pilots. She blushes, "Err, sorry. I just said that without thinking."

"Don't apologize." Sarah chuckled, "The bastard child deserved it." Her eyes widen in shock before getting stabbed through her armor in multiple places in her body, causing her to cough up some blood. Toji quickly draws his Prog Knife and cuts through the shadows stabbed into Sarah's body, cutting them off from their source and causing them to vanish.

"Call me bastard child, will you?" Shalock growls before struggling to his feet with his hood thrown back. He looked around ten years old with black hair and red eyes, which were filled with rage. "DON'T SCREW WITH ME, YOU HUMAN!" He roared as he shot a barrage of shadow spikes from the ground.

Hikari manages to dodge most of the attacks, but her shoulder holster was destroyed by one of the spikes when she evaded. Kensuke, like Hikari, managed to dodge most of the attacks, but lost the armor on his left leg and had a light cut on it. Sarah, despite her leg injury, managed to avoid any serious injuries, but the armor on her legs and arms were deeply cut into.

Toji also managed to avoid any serious injuries, but his hands were both pierced in the center. "Gah…"

"Toji!" Hikari shouted, firing a storm of energy bolts from her crossbow at Shalock but they are all blocked by a barrier made of shadows. Suddenly, of cross made of shadows forms behind Toji and Shalock has him pinned to it by his hands, similar to how Lilith was pinned to the red cross in Terminal Dogma.

"Don't even think about moving…or I WILL kill him." Shalock snapped as blades made of shadow materializing on the black cross around Toji's body. "Unless you want your friend cut up in here, which would likely cause him to die in the real world, I'd suggest you back the fuck off."

Kensuke swears before regretfully lowering his weapon as the other Pilots do the same. "You all are a bunch of idiots." Shalock taunts as the rest of them are suddenly pinned to shadow crosses as well. "Did you expect me to play fair? Don't put me in the same boat as that traitor, Chivalt."

"Shut up, you bastard child." Sarah growls before getting pierced in both feet, causing her to scream in pain.

"That's my line, you bitch. Don't you DARE call me that." Shalock snapped.

"Heh, what's wrong? Was that what you were when you were still a human?" Sarah shot back angrily.

That obviously hit a nerve as Shalock pierces both of Sarah's lower legs. "SHUT UP!"

* * *

"Sarah's brainwaves are frantic!" Maya shouted, "She could go into shock if she gets any more damage!"

"Get her out of there." Misato orders firmly.

"I can't!" Maya replied back with a fearful expression. "We can't take any of the pilots out of Balthasar with the Crimson Angel's influence still over it!"

'Damnit…' Misato thought as she stared at the two simulation pods that housed the two who were rushing to aid the Pilots inside, 'Hurry up…'

* * *

"Hey, leave her alone!" Hikari shouted, biting back the pain in her hands from being pinned to her cross and focusing on the feeling of using her Eva's AT Field. The cross behind her shatters as she projects it and, ignoring the pain surging through her hand, fires energy bolts at the restraints on the others' hands. Just as Shalock tries to retaliate, Kensuke fires a barrage of bullets at the Crimson Angel, forcing him to defend with his shadows. Toji cuts into the ground from where the source of the shadow-based attack came from, causing Sarah's cross to disappear and allowing her to fall.

"…I've had it…"

* * *

Darvin's eyes widen as he watches Shalock's real body vanishes from the simulation plug he was using and his form inside of Balthasar begins to shift. "Shalock, you idiot!" He snapped at him, "Varian ordered you to not fight them seriously!"

* * *

The shadows around Shalock's body completely encase him in a sphere of absolute darkness, which begins to slowly float into the air. "I'm going to kill each and every one of you bastards." His childish voice sounded demonic now. "Screw my orders. I refuse to have you bastards look down on me like this! Prepare to die!"

The sphere of darkness starts to crack before it shatters, revealing Shalock's demonic form. A long, dark cloak covered his body with silver trim on the edges of it. Silver chains wrapped around his arms, legs, and chest. There was also a medallion with a silver pentagram connected to the chains in the center of his chest. His hair had turned blood red in color and was much longer. His skin changed color and seemed almost as pale as Rei's skin. His body also seemed to have matured, as he now no longer appeared as a child…but as a young man. Worst yet, there was a black aura around him and a feeling of bloodlust in the room.

Needless to say, the Pilots had pale faces from looking at this new form of Shalock. Hikari was the first one to speak. "…Kensuke, I want you to get Sarah out of here. She can't fight in her condition." Sarah protests but she is cut off immediately, "I'm in charge here, not you. So shut up and listen to me." Hikari snapped, causing the brunette to become silent immediately and after a few moments just nods. "Maya, can you help us out?" She asks before activating her crossbow's charge functions, beginning to gather energy.

"Yeah, you'll just need to hold on until reinforcements show up." Lt. Ibuki replies softly. "But I'll help you until then."

"Wait, what do you-" Hikari begins before jumping back, barely avoiding a spiked pillar fires straight at her from Shalock's hand, which as a black glove over it with a silver cross-shaped design on it.

"This isn't a social gathering, you brats." Shalock growls "Either fight or die!" Black wings materialize on the Crimson Angel's back before a barrage of black bolts similar to the ones Hikari's crossbow fires launches out of his wings and at the children.

Toji rushes to Hikari's side and holds onto her hand, nodding at her before raising his left hand while Hikari raises her right hand at the coming attack, which would also hit Sarah and Kensuke. Both of them project an AT Field in unison, causing them to merge in strength and block the attack. "What?" Shalock roars, "That's impossible! None of you could block my attack that easily!"

"Not alone, but together we can." Hikari shot back before aiming her crossbow at the Crimson Angel. Shalock suddenly begins to laugh hysterically.

"Are you seriously thinking you can BEAT me? If you had one of the first three Children, then you might have a chance…but THERE IS NO HOPE FOR ANY OF YOU!" The Shadow Manipulator roars, his wings glowing bright red. "Screw the data Varian needs from the Magi…I'm going to just kill you, here and now! Even if I have to rip this place apart to do it!"

* * *

Sarah weakly leans against the wall five meters outside the database room, her armor torn to pieces in multiple places and digital blood coming from her wounds. "Damnit…" she mutters before looking over at Kensuke, who is helping her stand. "I'll be fine on my own…they need you more."

He nods gratefully before rushing back into the database room and the sound of explosions reached her ears as she walks away, using the wall as support. She never remembered how far or long she walked along that wall. 'All I am is a burden these days…why can't I ever do anything to help?' She wonders sadly as she finally manages to get back to the room she came through to get from Caspar into Melchior.

As she begins moving forward, no longer able to use the wall as a support for herself, she collapses onto her chest, her eyes blurry as she looks up at the platform and two figures materialize on the platform. The Pilot was unable to make out who there were as they rushed over to her collapsed figure, saying things she couldn't hear clearly from weariness. One figure rushes out of the room while the other gently picks up her battered body in its arms and lays it on the platform before a stream of light engulfs her, forcing her eyes to close from the light.

As she reopens them, she barely recognized the place as her simulation pod with the door opening before finally falling unconscious.

* * *

"You know, I'm actually surprised the three of you are still alive after that." Shalock remarks in a taunting, demonic voice. The room in question looked like a bomb went off; with countless puncture marks everywhere and the only completely undamaged area was the main database console, which had a shadow barrier surrounding it. The three Pilots were collapsed on the floor with multiple punctures through their armor, digital blood dripping out of their wounds. "I pierced some of your vital organs, yet you are still alive…barely, of course. Luckily I remembered that Varian needed that data from the Magi…Well, I suppose he doesn't really NEED the data, but it would be pain to pull off trying to configure my device without the information contained about the infrastructure of the Magi."

"…You talk too much." Toji mutters as he struggles to his feet but is slammed in the side by a shadow whip, sending him flying into the wall before collapsing back onto the ground.

"And you don't know when to give up." Shalock shot back. "Why do you keep fighting when you know it is pointless?" He deflects a massive energy bolt shot from Hikari's crossbow with his wing, the class rep currently looking up at Shalock from her position on the floor with a shaky arm holding the crossbow pointed at him.

"Because…our friends need us." Hikari replies weakly, trying to struggle to her feet before Shalock teleports in front of her before grabbing her around the neck and lifting her off the ground.

"'Because our friends need us'" Shalock imitates Hikari's tone of voice quite accurately. "Don't screw around. No matter what humanity does to try and take away the solitude they feel, they'll always be alone." He snapped at the girl, tightening his grip around her throat. "You think friendship and love can help you now, girl? All that your friends truly desire is someone to take their burden from them so they don't have to fight. They'd rather have you fight rather than do it themselves."

"Y-You're wrong." Kensuke gasped out as he rises to his feet, drawing his Prog Knife with his right hand after seeing his machine gun destroyed on the ground. "We know that they would rather fight in our place because they want to protect us and everyone else from you bas-" His statement is interrupted as Shalock fires a spiked ball into Kensuke's right arm, causing him to scream in pain as he grabs his shoulder, all that's left of his digital right arm, his Prog Knife on the floor next to him as he falls to his knees.

"Wrong, you brat. How do you know they didn't just send you in here just to get rid of you?" Shalock taunts scornfully. "Let's be honest here, all of you are nothing but a burden to them…nothing but a shield to hide behind…and when you're in danger, a person to protect from harm. All you do is drag down the three original pilots. Just admit it!"

Hikari is gasping weakly as she presses her crossbow tip against Shalock's chest, glaring at the boy turned young man with a look that irritated the Crimson Angel. Defiance. "You can't beat me with that weapon, girl. Right now, my body is impervious to the level of attack that crossbow of yours is capable of." Shalock snapped before Hikari shoots it.

Shalock lets go of Hikari, screaming in pain from the hole in his chest as the class rep struggles to catch her breath while standing, a strange golden aura surrounding her body. "I…won't let you win…" she whispers, pointing the crossbow at Shalock again before firing again. Unlike the normal bolts she fired before, these were as golden as her aura and cut through Shalock's hastily made barrier like a hot knife through butter.

Shalock managed to evade a critical wound, and is instead hit in his left shoulder by the second bolt. "What the hell? Only the three original pilots and that brat piloting Unit 04 should be able to use their own AT Field like that!" He roared.

* * *

Darvin frowns, watching the scene unfold with concern before letting out a sigh. "Shalock, you're a complete idiot. All of the Eva Pilots have the capability…but you just had to push her into an emotional corner like that and awaken that ability, didn't you?"

* * *

Hikari's body felt light…almost like it was floating. The searing pain that was surging through her body previously seemed to vanish instantly as her digital body began to repair itself. She looked down at her hands and her eyes widened at seeing the aura around them. "What…is this?" She asks softly before sidestepping a barrage of shadow bolts from Shalock's wings with ease. 'Did he get slower…or is this aura making me faster?' Hikari was confused as to how she felt so rejuvenated and powerful all of a sudden, but she had no time to question why or how.

"Fine, let's see you keep control of your emotions after I kill your boyfriend!" Shalock snapped angrily, a shadow spike stabbing up from the ground from where Toji was. Hikari had two golden angel wings on her back with Toji in her arms five meters away from where his body way lying on the ground. "I-Impossible…"

"Nice one Hikari!" A familiar voice shouted, making Shalock's eyes widen in horror as he tries to turn around to face to source of the voice. Before he can fully turn around, however, he is pierced through the back by a Heavy Prog Sword, almost hitting his S2 Core. "As for you, you're DEAD, arshloch." Asuka snapped, a golden aura and two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on her back as she twisted the sword before jumping back and leaving the sword embedded in him, barely dodging the shadow blades erupting from Shalock's back.

"DAMN YOU!" Shalock roared, "Why do you brats keep on doing this? How do you keep pulling off all these damned miracles?" He didn't get the chance to respond as Asuka appeared at his side, grabs her sword hilt and swings a kick into his side, blasting him into the wall and cutting through anything between the upper center of his chest and his armpit.

"Maybe God does exist…and he doesn't want you dumbasses to win." Asuka suggested blandly, swinging her sword to the side as watching as Shalock collapses onto his hands and knees, his wounds slowly regenerating. Suddenly, Hikari falls onto her knees and her angel wings and golden aura vanishes as she falls unconscious over Toji's body. "Hikari!" Just as she rushes to the Eighth Child, a blade of pure darkness cuts into her AT Field-created angel wing, getting her attention and forcing her to jump to the side to avoid the other blades. "Damnit, why won't you die as easily as Chivalt did?" She snapped, the wing slowly beginning to reform.

"Screw you!" The Crimson Angel roars before sending a wave of shadow sickles across the ground and at the redhead, who barely manages to sidestep every single one of them. The young man sends a beam of pure darkness at Asuka who, after realizing that Hikari and Toji were behind her now, puts up a powerful AT Field.

"Toji, get your lazy ass up and get Hikari out of here!" Asuka snapped as he heard the stooge groaning in pain, slowly being push back by the beam of pure darkness.

"Shut up…" He mutters weakly, blushing at having Hikari's digital body on top of his before struggling to his feet and picking her up slowly, supporting the class rep around the waist as he half carries and half drags her out of the room.

* * *

Patrick rushes back towards the database room, noticing Toji and Hikari just leaving the room where the battle was taking place. He hesitates, staring at the two of them and torn between helping them or giving Asuka support. "We're okay…help Asuka out in there." Toji mutters.

Patrick nods before opening communication with Ritsuko. "In here, the side-effects won't be as severe…especially since I can't use the Eva L.R. Program." He pauses, "I wouldn't suggest this if we had no other options. Asuka can't win by herself."

Ritsuko is heard sighing, "Very well. We don't have many options and you'll try to do it anyways…Maya, upload what he needs."

"Right…"

* * *

After the two pilots left the room, she flew up to evade the beam of darkness. She was surprised at first about this new ability, but grew to like it as she tauntingly dodged every one of Shalock's attacks…although, he was becoming more accurate. "Stand still, you bitch!"

Asuka smirks, flying to the side to evade a barrage of spiked balls made of shadow. "Why should I? You're aim sucks so much that you'd miss even if I stood still." She absently notices Kensuke sneaking towards the main database controls and decides to keep distracting Shalock until he manages to upload the Angel-killing program Nerv used against Iruel.

"Dodge this then!" A wall of shadows appears in front of Asuka, who just smirks and cuts through it with her AT Field-infused sword. "Damn you!" His wings glow blood red. "Fine, you aren't worthy enough to face this attack on your own, but I am done toying with you!"

Asuka's eyes widen as a barrier of shadows encloses the main control panel, with Kensuke unnoticed inside, before Shalock wraps his wings around himself, creating a blood red sphere of pure energy. "Shiest!" Asuka shouted as a massive amount of black energy beams with a crimson outline around them fire into every corner of the room, Asuka's wings getting pierced before three fly towards her chest and head.

Suddenly, three floating objects similar to silver cross with curved edges flies in front of Asuka and projected an AT Field, which deflects the black energy beams away. "What?" Shalock demanded angrily before two crosses appear in front of him and fire energy beams from their tips, piercing both his energy sphere and his wings, causing him to lose his concentration. At the doorway of the room, the Pilot of Unit 04 stands calmly with two other crosses floating around him.

"Project 'Lightbringer' activated." Patrick mutters, swinging his staff to the side, the two crosses floating around him flying up into the air and rapidly firing laser bolts at the Crimson Angel from their tip, each attack causing an explosion until Shalock was in a cloud of smoke.

"Whoa…" Asuka mutters, looking at Patrick curiously, "Nice move, but now we can't see where the bastard is." She pointed out in a flat voice before her eyes widen. "Shiest!"

Two of Patrick's crosses, the ones that fired laser beams through Shalock's wings, were cut through by a swarm of shadow sickle blades, which also fire at both of the Eva pilots. Kensuke is still hidden from view by Shalock's own shadow barrier, so he was not targeted. Patrick's crosses that were floating around him changed direction so its tip was pointed away before it projects an AT Field to defend Patrick. Asuka, refusing to be protected again, projects her own AT Field to block the sickles as the three crosses point their tips at the Crimson Angel and fire energy bolts at him, moving through the air rapidly in order to avoid damage.

Shalock snarls, creating a wall of shadows to block the laser bolts before continuing his sickle blade barrage of the Eva Pilots. "What the fuck are those damned things?" He demanded angrily.

* * *

Rei stares at the main screen in the Central Command Center, which is showing the battle currently occurring in the Magi, her hand gently resting on Caspar as Shinji breathes weakly on the floor nearby, also looking up at the screen. 'What's going on in there?' The boy wonders.

'That's Project 'Lightbringer.'' Yui's voice notes calmly. 'It is a program that takes advantage of a Pilot's personal AT Field while in an Eva Unit…and also removes the flaw that the Eva L.R. Program has, which is the inability to use an AT Field for defense or negating another AT Field.' She pauses, 'The user's AT Field is used to control those 'shards', which can either create an AT Field for defense or fire it as an attack. The downside is that the user can't protect himself with a direct AT Field, which is why it's meant to be used with the Eva L.R. Program, because it infuses the armor with the Eva's AT Field for boosts in speed, defense and power.'

'Wait, wouldn't that put a heavy strain on his mind and soul by doing that?' Shinji asks softly, causing his mother be become very quiet. 'What would happen if he used both the Eva L.R. Program, which puts a heavy strain on the body, and Project 'Lightbringer', which puts a heavy strain on the mind and body?'

Yui sighs, 'It ultimately depends on a number of factors, such as how much damage he has or takes…and how long he uses both in tandem.' She pauses briefly, 'It would likely kill him.' Shinji's eyes widen, 'If it was you or Rei…maybe Asuka, you'd survive the strain…but he unlocked his AT Field too early, making it heavily unstable as a result.'

'…I understand, Mother.' Shinji responds softly.

* * *

Shalock was furious. No matter what he tried, the Pilots either dodged or blocked it. Once, and just once, he tried to use his ultimate attack, The Crimson Rain, but those damned crosses just fired laser beams into his wings again, disrupting the attack. "Tch…" Shalock mutters darkly, pulling out two upside down cross-shaped weapons and connects one to each arm. "I guess I'm stuck using my weapon…damn it all."

"Heh, give up yet?" Asuka taunts, the Eva Pilot now has four AT Field wings on her back as she flies around the room, firing energy slashes at the Crimson Angel.

Shalock glares at the redhead with malice, easily deflecting the slashes by swinging his weapon, connected to his arms, into the attack before pointing one of his weapons at each Pilot. Smirking, a beam of white light fires out at each pilot, Asuka dodging it and Patrick using three of his five remaining shards to block with an AT Field while the other two float in the air around Asuka. 'Wait, a Shadow User having a weapon that creates light…' Patrick's eyes widen a moment after Asuka's does. "Oh shit-"

Patrick turns around and sees a massive black shadow behind him, which immediately launches itself at the Eva Pilot with a variety of weapons jutting out of it. He feels a hand grab onto his staff, which pulls him away in time to avoid getting ripped apart. Asuka had saved him, though he lost the three shards that were used to defend himself with. "You're an idiot. Can't you put two and two together quickly enough? I lost my chance to attack because I had to save your ass." She snapped angrily.

"I didn't ask for your help…you should have killed him when you had an opening." Patrick retorted, his two remaining shards floating under him as he breaks his staff free of the redhead's grip, falling on an AT Field projected by the two shards. "Good thing I'm using my Eva's AT Field rather than my own…" He mutters to himself as Asuka lands next to him on the makeshift platform.

"Okay, I've been watching you use those crosses for awhile. You're using an AT Field to control them, aren't you?" Shalock states calmly as he stares at the two of them intently. "They can project an AT Field for defense and used as a weapon in the form of those energy bolts. You even defended against me with them…which means you've been using your Eva's AT Field rather than your own." Patrick's eyes narrow, biting his bottom lip. "Meaning you can't use it right now, likely from transferring your power to Shinji."

The Crimson Angel raises its AT Field to block a barrage of energy bolts from one of the crosses. "You talk too much." Patrick states in a flat voice. Asuka is no longer standing on the platform, however.

"Aha, I got it right on the mark." Shalock taunts, turning around to deflect Asuka's sword away from him before kicking her square in the chest, blasting her into the wall before pointing his arm cannon at her. "Nice try, girl." Just as he fires, his arm was grabbed and pushed downwards, hitting the floor instead. Patrick slams his staff into the Crimson Angel, blasting him back and into the wall opposite of Asuka. The boy begins falling but one of his shards hovers under him and creates an AT Field platform.

"…Okay, that hurt a lot…" Asuka mutters, pulling herself out of the crater in the wall. Her armor was mostly intact except cracks in multiple points, but the area where Shalock hit her was gone. She calms herself and creates two more AT Field wings on her body, now six in total. "Hey Patrick, you okay over there?"

The Fifth Child was having trouble at this point. He forced himself to channel is own AT Field into the attack he gave Shalock, as his Eva's AT Field was focused in Project 'Lightbringer.' "I've felt better…" He breathes out weakly, his whole body feeling like it was burning. "This guy…is way too strong."

"Ah, at last you two are one your last legs." Shalock comments airily, his body already regenerating from the damage they've done so far. "I wonder how long until you collapse from exhaustion."

"You're exhausted too, dumbass." Asuka snapped back, breathing deeply. "Fighting six Eva Pilots in a space of half an hour while taking a decent amount of damage would wear you out too."

"Brat!" Shalock fires a beam of light at the redhead, who promptly dodges the attack. "My endurance is far superior to yours, so I'll be able to outlast you. My S2 Core provides me with unlimited energy."

"Your mind is exhausted though." Patrick points out, firing multiple energy bolts at the Crimson Angel, who just uses his AT Field to block. "I know full well how much strain using an AT Field puts on not only your body, but your mind. Even if you aren't using AT Fields directly, you've been using it in your abilities, which probably exhaust you more than just projecting a barrier."

"Where's your proof in that theory?" The Shadow Manipulator demanded.

Asuka smirks, "You've been using shadows for everything, both attack and defense…meaning that if you've stopped using for defense, it must mean you can't afford to show off and waste too much energy anymore. You're getting mentally exhausted, which is why you haven't been using attacks as often anymore…and it was the reason you actually started using your Crimson Angel weapon."

Shalock grits his teeth in childish frustration. "Damn it! Stop looking down on me!" He screamed as he grabs the medallion on his chest and ripping it off, causing chains around his body shatter to pieces. His form slowly becomes less like a human and more like a grim reaper, the chain shards reforming as a scythe. Suddenly, his eyes widen in horror as he foresees what will soon happen to Cybornac. He quickly dismisses the barrier of shadows still around the main computer terminal but it is already too late. Kensuke smirks up weakly as he hits a key on the console, causing a wail to echo in the Magi as the modified version of the program used to defeat Iruel was downloaded into Balthasar from Caspar, which quickly spread to Melchior and started deleting Cybornac. "NO!"

* * *

"The program is working. The Crimson Angel's presence in Balthasar is vanishing." Maya reported, watching as the hacking the Crimson slowly reverses. "Balthasar has been purged of the Crimson Angel."

Shinji struggles to his feet and takes over the protection of Caspar with his AT Field for Rei while she quickly moves to Melchior and puts and AT Field around it, keeping the program and Crimson Angel contained inside.

"The normal Crimson Angel has gone silent." Maya states with relief in her voice, causing Ritsuko to breathe a sigh of relief. "The Magi are back under our control."

Ritsuko's eyes widen in horror as she remembers what happened to a Crimson Angel's body after its defeat and quickly phones the Main Command Center. "What's the status of the Magi?"

Hyuga was the one who answered. "Caspar is in perfect condition, both the mechanics and the data inside. Melchior's data is mostly salvageable, but the flames damaged some key systems."

"What about Balthasar?" Ritsuko demanded.

"Err, well…structurally, it's in good shape because the organic parts of the Crimson Angel rotted away but…because of the battle still going on inside of the main database, we've lost two-thirds of Balthasar's data." Hyuga replies nervously.

"WHAT?"

* * *

Shalock stared at the one-armed data version of Kensuke in shock before his expression becomes one of anger as he screams with rage, his cloak no longer silver in color and instead shifting back to its normal black coloration. "DIE!" He glowed with a blood red aura as countless shadow blades cut the main database controls were cut into pieces, but Kensuke wasn't there anymore. "What-" He could finish his statement as Asuka's Heavy Prog Sword stabs right into the center of his chest, cutting deeply into his S2 Core.

"It's over." Asuka snapped as she jumps away from Shalock's body, which is slowly burning away now.

"Kensuke was forcefully taken out before Shalock lost it." Patrick mutters, remembering how Kensuke's body turned into data and vanished just a moment before the blades shredded the area he was standing on.

Shalock's demonic form fades away and, in its place, is a young ten year old boy with short brown hair and eyes of the same color, staring at the Eva Pilots. "Thanks…" He whispers, "I…really can't thank you enough. I thought that, because of my life as a human, God had forsaken us…but I was wrong." The upside-down crosses on his arms vanish as the flames burn his legs completely and start on his chest and arms. "That's why…I'm leaving the Crimson Angel's weapon with the one who helped to bring his downfall…" He grins at Asuka. "Despite the fighting…that was a lot of fun. Seeya later!" His body completely burns up.

Shalock, the Shadow Manipulator, had gone silent.

* * *

A/N: Wow…over 8000 words in this chapter…the largest yet! I'm happy about how this whole thing turned out, despite how this didn't follow my scenario. You're probably wondering who got the Crimson Angel weapon, but you'll have to find out next chapter!

Read and Review!


	34. Beginning of Summer Break

A/N: Well, things will be getting interesting from here on out. Before you protest about Asuka NOT getting the weapon, I'll tell you something interesting. She will eventually get one of the strongest Crimson Angel weapons, so don't complain when some of the other does while she doesn't. Anyways, onto the show!

Asuka coughs, getting the author's attention before speaking. "Why the hell am I not getting the Crimson Angel weapon? I KILLED the bastard!"

Vanpat sighs, "Did you have to interrupt me? I was about to start the story." He replies plaintively.

"Considering this is the only chance I'll get to complain, yes, I DID have to interrupt you." Asuka snorts, "At least you aren't completely incompetent. Letting me speak here rather than complain in mid-story, breaking the fourth wall."

"Cut him some slack. This IS his first story, after all." Patrick mutters.

"Stop standing up for him!" Asuka snapped, "The only reason you're supporting him is because you're a self-insert!"

The room becomes deathly quiet before both Patrick and the author turn to glare at her. "That was uncalled you." Patrick states in a flat voice.

Vanpat nods, "Agreed. Asuka, just to punish you for being so rude, you're reading the disclaimer." He hands her the script.

The redhead glares at the author before reading from the script. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any way, shape or form. I also think that the author is awesome in every way and that's why I love- HEY!" Asuka turns to glares at Vanpat, who as been secretly sneaking towards the door.

He turns around just in time to see flames shoot up around the redhead as the script is incinerated. "You are beyond dead." She growls before slowly marching towards him, who just gibbers in panic.

Patrick quickly pulls out the remote and changes the screen to the current storyline. "Whew…I don't think you all need to see what she's going to do to him for that little prank." The sounds of painful screams and the breaking of bones are heard in the background. "Ouch, I'd hate to be him…Anyways, onto the story!"

* * *

Asuka was breathing heavily as she exits the simulation plug, exhausted after that battle with the Crimson Angel. 'Why are all of these guys so powerful?' she wondered as the redhead stretched her stiff body, which had no movement for the duration of the time she was in the simulator.

'Nicely done, Asuka.' Kyoko complimented. 'I'm very proud of how well you did in there.'

'Thanks, Mama.' Asuka replied with a smile before noticing her three fellow pilots being rushed out of the room on stretchers…with Hikari on a life support system. Before she could follow, a shout interrupted her.

"Asuka, Patrick. Get up here right now!" Ritsuko ordered firmly. Patrick struggles out of the simulator with a confused expression on his face, his body feeling weak from the strain of Project 'Lightbringer.' Both of the Pilots walk to the side elevator and head up to the control booth.

"Ritsuko, don't be too hard on them." Misato protests as the Eva Pilot step out of the elevator and stop, noticing the infuriated expression on Doctor Akagi's face. "If they didn't fight the way they did, Balthasar would be in worse shape than it already was."

"I lost the backup system because the Fifth Child was stupid enough to knock Shalock right into it!" Ritsuko shot back, "And the Second Child was stupid enough to just dodge his shadow attack rather than block them, causing the attacks to damage multiple key systems! Do you have any idea how much time and effort it'll take to fix it?"

"We're right here, you know." Asuka snapped, glaring at Doctor Akagi.

Ritsuko turned to face the children. "Do you know how much work you've made for me? It'll take MONTHS to fix all the damage!"

"That was the Crimson Angel, not us." Patrick replied flatly, "If you want to complain, feel free to rage at Varian and not us."

"Ritsuko, enough." Misato snapped, "Just get a copy of the system data lost from the Magi in Matsushiro and fill in the blanks yourself." Ritsuko glares at the Major before turning away and leaving the room. Misato sighs and looks at the Pilots. "Sorry about that. Ritsuko tends to care more about the Magi than anything else."

"Doesn't mean she should take it out on us." Patrick mutters darkly before sitting on the bench made originally for the pilots to wait until it was their turn on the simulator. "_God, I'm tired…_" He breathed out wearily in English, leaning against the wall the bench next to. He looks over to where Asuka is, but she is no longer there. "Where'd Asuka go?"

"She's likely heading to the Central Command Center to check up on Shinji." Misato replies calmly, "Head over to the hospital to get checked up on by the doctors there. I doubt Ritsuko will be in much state to bother with checkups on you or any of the other Pilots."

The boy sighs, "Okay, Misato." He struggles to his feet and starts walking out of the room, slightly unsteady.

* * *

"THAT FUCKING IDIOT!" Varian roared as a large demonic claw rips apart a row of pillars in the Crimson Angel arena, which resembled the coliseum in Rome, Italy. "Why did he go and do something so STUPID?"

Darvin winces slightly at the rage in Lord Varian's voice. "Calm down, my Lord. Cybornac foresaw the possibility of failure by Shalock and sent the data back to us."

"Nerv will be able to track it back to our base, you idiot!" Varian snapped, "Even with the time we've gained with the development of the program, we've about a month before they can track us down…" He sighs, the two slightly transparent demonic claws and arms vanishing. "We won't have much time to counter them…worst comes to worst, we'll fight them in our HQ, but I'd like to prevent that, if possible."

"Should I send Varkon now?" Darvin asks in an old voice.

Varian frowns slightly, "No…let's wait until the first three Children take their vacation. Nerv will be more vulnerable without those three out of the way."

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Darvin looked surprised.

"Let's just say…I've been doing some investigating of my own." Varian smirks, "You know what to do when the time is right. In the meantime, I'll be get back to my duties." He vanishes into thin air.

* * *

"I heard that a Crimson Angel managed to hack into the Magi a few days ago." Charles Ravian commented airily from his seat in the U.N. building in London, speaking to Commander Ikari through a large monitor that drops from the ceiling in Ikari's office. "Worse yet, the human-form Crimson Angel also entered the Magi in order to steal valuable data." His expression was smug. "Do you have anything to say about these events, Ikari?"

Ikari scowls behind his hands from his seat with Fuyutsuki standing next to him. "The crisis was averted due to Doctor Akagi's quick actions. Had we simply destroyed the Magi to kill the Crimson Angel, we would lose a key system in this base."

"Ah yes…quite a believable excuse, Ikari." The Secretary-General of the U.N. responds with that same smug expression. "However, you jeopardized the entire base by putting faith in your Pilots and Doctor Akagi. What would you do if, say, the Crimson Angel took over the Magi completely and activated the self-destruct?"

"I don't need to answer that question, Ravian." Ikari replied coldly, "The crisis was averted and, as a benefit, we not only destroyed the Crimson Angel, but a human-form Crimson Angel as well."

Ravian shrugs, "Very well. However…" He smiles faintly, "I noticed something missing in your report to the U.N." Ikari's eyes narrowed, "Perhaps I should show you the picture." He types something on his laptop before turning it to face Ikari and Fuyutsuki. The old man's eyes widen in shock. It was a picture of the human-form Crimson Angel in Terminal Dogma with the corpses of SEELE's agents all pinned to the large red cross. "Care to explain this picture, Ikari?" He asks smugly.

"There is nothing to explain, except the fact that putting Unit 01 out of reach of the Crimson Angels in Terminal Dogma is pointless." Ikari replies coldly. "Perhaps you should address that in the next U.N. meeting, Ravian."

Ravian's eyes narrow, and expression of annoyance, as if we just out maneuvered, showed on his face for a fraction of a second before returning to normal. "However, the fact the enemy has not taken Unit 01, even though they could easily get into the base, means taking Unit 01 with them would be impossible." He smiles coldly, "There is no point in bringing this up in the U.N., because this won't change the situation at all."

Ikari glares at the man with annoyance, "Last time I checked, the U.N. had meetings to discuss such issues and make decisions, not you. I'll inform the Japanese Representative to bring up this point if you do not, Ravian." His voice was cold.

Ravian just smiles, "Very well. Have a good day, Ikari." He cuts off the connection on his side while Commander Ikari does the same.

The screen retracts into the ceiling as Commander Ikari pulls out the phone from his desk and dials a number. "Doctor Akagi, get a background check on the Secretary-General of the U.N. and send it up."

"My hands are full enough as it is!" Ritsuko protests, "I've to reconfigure the Magi and then direct the tech team with their repairs on Melchior-"

"Doctor Akagi." Ikari cuts Ritsuko off, his tone causing her to become silent. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't important."

"…Fine, give me a few hours." Ritsuko hangs up on her end after saying this. Gendo nods and hangs the phone up.

Fuyutsuki stares at Commander Ikari curiously. "What's wrong? You usually keep your composure during meetings…and asking Doctor Akagi to run a background check and implying it's more important than repairing the Magi…"

"Something doesn't sit well with me concerning that man." The Commander of Nerv admits, "It almost appears as if he's taunting me when he points out incidents concerning the Crimson Angels."

* * *

Two Months Later…

"Finally, we just have to last through today and we'll have summer vacation." Kensuke cheered, but not with his usual enthusiasm. "Isn't it great?" He asks Shinji and Toji, all three of them standing on the rooftop of the school during recess.

"I guess…" Toji mutters, turning around to look at Hikari, currently talking with Asuka and Sarah. She notices his stare and smiles at him before going back to her discussion.

"She still doesn't remember anything?" Shinji asks softly.

Toji sighs, "Nothing, she doesn't remember anything past the point she raised her weapon to that guy's chest." He shakes his head. "Kensuke, you've been acting a bit distant for awhile. What's up?"

Kensuke hesitates, "It's nothing…just thinking about stuff." While Balthasar was downloading the program that killed Cybornac, he decided to look into some of the Magi's files concerning the Evangelion Units. He was stunned to discover the Eva Units were made from Angel DNA in order to combat the Angels themselves. The plates on them weren't meant as armor, but as restraints in order to control them. The thing that shocked him to the core, however, was the reason why they could project an AT Field.

The soul of the pilot's mother was used in the Eva Units, allowing better connection with the Evas and a higher synchronization score. He didn't know what to do with this information. Originally, he thought that the Evas were an amazing piece of technology…but now, he almost seemed to develop an uneasy feeling about them. He needed to talk about this with someone, but he didn't know who. The only person he could think of was Shinji, because he had been piloting the Evas longer than him or Toji.

"Hey, Earth to Kensuke." Toji called out, "You there?"

"Huh, oh yeah." Kensuke replies quickly, "Sorry about that. I've got a lot on my mind is all..." He admits.

"Why not tell us about it then?" Shinji suggested softly. Before Kensuke could respond, the bell rings, signaling that recess has ended. "Well, I guess we should get back to class."

Toji nods and the three of them start heading back to class. "Hey, have you guys decided where you're going for that two-week vacation?" He asks Shinji softly.

The Third Child nods, "We decided to go to Germany, since Asuka was so insistent on returning to her homeland." He smiles faintly, "I think she wants to show me and Rei what it's like."

"Don't forget Pen Pen." Toji jokes, causing the three of them to laugh.

* * *

Commander Ikari sits alone in his office, with the only other person currently in the room is the First Child, Rei Ayanami. Her expression was impassive, yet Ikari knew she did not enjoy being here rather than with her fellow pilots in school. "Rei, I have no issues with you and your fellow pilots taking a vacation, even with the Crimson Angel threat still here. However, I do have a request to make."

That caught Rei's attention immediately. Normally, Commander Ikari would just give her orders and expect her to follow them. "What is this request?" She replies in a monotone voice with a hint of curiosity on her face.

"During your vacation, I want you to teach the Second and Third Child how to better control their AT Fields." Ikari states calmly, "There may be a time where this ability may become important in out fight against the Crimson Angels."

Rei nods, "I see no problem with that. Very well." She turns around and walks to the door. As it opens, Ikari's voice reaches her once more.

"Rei, you've changed since Third Impact."

The First Child smiles softly as she turns around to face Gendo, his eyes widening slightly at the expression on her face. "So have you, Gendo." She replies calmly before leaving the room, the door shutting behind her. That expression, to Gendo Ikari, was nearly identical to Yui Ikari's own soft smile.

He becomes silent for a few moments before picking up the phone and dialing a number. "Fuyutsuki, I want you to send Eva Unit 02 to the Nerv Branch in Berlin with the Eva Pilots."

"For what reason?" Fuyutsuki asked with amazement in his voice.

"Two reasons. The first is in case the Crimson Angels decide to attack the Pilots while they are in Germany. The second reason is that Eva Unit 02's AT Field wings have been theorized to be able to allow the Eva to move at high speed, faster than the super-sonic jet I've prepared."

"Why not send Unit 01 then?" Fuyutsuki suggested, "Yes, I know the U.N. will be against taking out of Terminal Dogma, but you should point out that it is safer to have Unit 01 with its Pilot."

Commander Ikari pauses, "I haven't informed the U.N. on the Pilot's vacation, so it would be unwise to try that. They have not approved this vacation, mainly due to the fact I haven't informed them about it."

"Very well. Should we send Unit 00 as well?"

Commander Ikari pauses, "Yes. It would be wiser to have two Evas with their pilots in case they are attacked…and Unit 00 can also use its AT Field wings if necessary."

"Understood."

* * *

Asuka smiles happily as she finishes packing everything she needs in a suitcase, snapping the lid shut and locking it. The Second Child was humming a melody she heard her mother sing when she was a child. 'You seem quite happy today, Asuka.' Her mother comments in an amused voice, 'Are you sure you want to leave Nerv with Rei and Shinji? Nerv might need you all in case the Crimson Angels attack.'

'It's only for a couple of weeks.' Asuka points out, 'Besides, if something does happen, Commander Ikari has a super-sonic jet ready in Berlin to get us back here in case something happens.'

Kyoko sighs, 'I suppose you're right…' she resigns, 'You three definitely need a break from all the stress in your lives.'

Likewise, Shinji is having a similar conversation with his mother. 'If anything happens, I'm coming to get you.' Yui states firmly, 'No matter how fast that jet your father has prepared is, it would still take at least one hour to get back here.'

'Mother, it will be okay.' Shinji replies softly as he finishes his packing as well. 'I believe in everyone staying behind. They can defeat the Crimson Angel without our help.'

Yui becomes quiet. 'I hope you're right, darling. I doubt that I'd be able to get to Germany and back in time.'

* * *

"Okay, is everyone packed for tomorrow?" Misato asks the three Eva Pilots during dinner.

"I am." Shinji and Asuka reply in unison, blushing faintly after realizing they said it at the same time. Asuka continues, however. "What about you Rei?"

"I finished packing yesterday evening." Rei replies calmly, "Commander Ikari asked me to teach the two of you how to control your AT Fields."

"What? This is supposed to be our vacation!" Asuka protests loudly.

"He requested it, so he must have a reason why." Rei responds in a monotone voice. "He gave us a choice whether or not to do it."

"I think it's a good idea." Shinji replies softly, causing a surprised expression to show on Asuka's face. "Well, it is. We might need our AT Field in case of an emergency…like with the previous Crimson Angel."

'I think it's a good idea too.' Kyoko's voice echoes in Asuka's head.

"Fine…" Asuka mutters darkly.

* * *

The next day, the Katsuragi household eats a hasty breakfast before heading out the door. Oddly enough, Pen Pen followed them outside rather than staying in his freezer. His freezer was being taken with them by a couple of Nerv agents, who also informed them that Commander Ikari sent a limo for them.

Asuka and Shinji waste no time in getting in the back seat and relaxing. Rei calmly joins them and watches with faint amusement as Pen Pen grabs the edge of the limo floor and pulls himself up and inside of the limo. The back seat was arranged in a half circle with a table bolted down in the middle. Pen Pen watches the two Nerv agents place the freezer inside the limo and plug it into a battery. He waddles over to it, opens it up, and enters before closing the door behind himself.

"Wow, he sure knows how to go all out." Misato notes blandly to herself as she loads her suitcase in the back of the limo and is about to put the others inside before the same two Nerv agents that took Pen Pen's freezer inside the back seat lift and place the pilots belongings inside the back of the limo. "Thanks."

"Not a problem, Major Katsuragi." One of them replied in a familiar voice with a salute and had a familiar face under his moustache and sunglasses. Misato's eyes widen before ripping both off of the man, the moustache and sunglasses coming out easily and revealing…

"You!" Misato looked surprised as she stared at the face of her lover, Kaji. "What are you doing here?" The other agent leaves and heads up to the driver seat of the limo.

Kaji sighs, "And here I thought you missed me, Misato." He jokes, "As for why I'm here, I've just returned from the job Commander Ikari assigned for me and gave him my report. He suggested I'd tag along with you to Germany."

"No thanks." Misato rejected, "This is a vacation that doesn't include you."

"I'm hurt." Kaji replies with a smile before his face becomes serious. "I've been told to give you a message from Commander Ikari. He's sending Units 00 and 02 with us to Germany."

"What?"

"Calm down. He decides on this course of action because the Pilots would be powerless to defend themselves against a Crimson Angel if it showed up…and if a Crimson Angel shows up at Nerv instead, their AT Field wings would allow them to go faster than the jet he's prepared in Berlin." Kaji explains calmly. "I'm tagging along because I have my own assignment in Berlin that I need to complete."

Misato scowls, "And what assignment would that be…and where the hell have you been these past months?"

"Ah, that's classified information." Kaji smiles at Misato's expression. "However, I think Ikari wouldn't mind if I told you." He moves closer and lowers his voice to a whisper. "I've been tracking down SEELE's whereabouts. They've made multiple false trails to hide their location but I've managed to narrow down the search to the area around Germany…or at least, Central Europe."

Misato's eyes widen, "Are you sure?"

Kaji nods, "It makes sense, I suppose. The name 'SEELE' means 'soul' in German, so it makes sense." He sighs, scratching the back of his head. "I can't be completely certain, but I doubt they are in Germany itself. Switzerland would be more likely, but I still need to narrow it down further."

Misato sighs, "Why is Commander Ikari so fixated on tracking them down, anyways?"

"They'll have intel on the Crimson Angels, which is good enough for Ikari. He knows Keel well enough to know that they'll have an idea of the location of their HQ." Kaji responds in a serious voice. "Not to mention the fact those old men have to pay for their crimes."

"True…" Misato mutters before sighing, "Fine, you can come along…though you'd probably follow us anyways even if I told you not to."

* * *

Ritsuko frowns as she oversees the data on the Magi. The majority of the damage has been repaired during the two months that had passed by since Cybornac's attack. What truly worried her is how the enemy managed to get into the Magi with its firewalls up. A few times she actually managed to find out some data that was transferred from Melchior to some unknown location…but the amount of safeties and false trails in the network of where the data was transferred made tracking down where it was sent difficult. It would take time to track down where the data was sent, which would likely be the enemy's base of operations.

"Doctor Akagi, we're ready to reboot Balthasar." Maya reported, interrupting her train of thought.

"Very well. Let's see if this works." Ritsuko replies calmly, "Activate Balthasar."

Maya, Hyuga, and Aoba all intently watch the data going through their computer screens as Balthasar reactivates. Ritsuko had decided, after getting permission from Commander Ikari, to upgrade the Magi. They were going to be working on them anyways, so why not improve the system further?

Speaker: "Balthasar is now online. Tokyo-03 Magi running at 98.17% efficiency."

"Wow, that's the highest it's ever been." Hyuga remarks, watching as the three Magi work in complete tandem with each other. "I've never seen them work this fast."

Ritsuko smiles, 'It took two weeks to repair the Magi when it should have taken two months…but I put that time to good use by upgrading the Magi for you, Mother.'

* * *

The room was dark, void of all light except in the exact center of the room. The cloaked figure of a Crimson Angel stood there calmly, as if waiting for someone or something. Suddenly, twelve monolith appear around the figure, each with SEELE and a number on them.

"You requested to speak with us, correct?" Seele 01, Keel Lorenz, asked calmly.

The cloaked figure nods before responding in a woman's voice. "That's correct, Keel." Morlina states in a calm voice. "I'm not coming here on behalf of Varian, but for myself." Her eyes are a crystal clear blue in coloration, signifying the human is in control rather than the Crimson Angel, whose eyes are always blood red in color.

"Then speak." Seele 02 replied shortly. "Varian likely is keeping his eyes on both of us if he traced your actions."

Morlina shrugs, "That wouldn't be surprising. How's the reconstruction of the Eva Series going?" she asked curiously.

"Twenty-two Eva Units are ready with five others almost built and three more under way." Seele 04 responds, "Within a couple of weeks, we'll have thirty Eva Units fully functional for combat." He pauses, "Your designs for them will make them more combat efficient."

Morlina frowns, "Varian has at least sixty Eva Series Units under his command…and after losing Shalock, he'll be getting nervous, especially since my loyalty is in question." She paces in a circle before stopping. "I don't think we can do this alone. We'll need Nerv's Eva Units on our side."

"We will never join forces with Ikari." Seele 01 snapped angrily.

"I didn't say that. Just make a truce with him for the sake of fighting Varian's army." Morlina replies calmly. "Your completed thirty Eva Series Units, along with me and Nerv's Evangelions…we can match or even overwhelm Varian and his Mass Produced Eva Units."

The room was overcome with silence until it was finally broken by Keel. "…We will discuss this. However, even if we have a truce with Ikari, there's no guarantee he'll honor it with us."

"At least consider it." Morlina replies calmly before sighing. "If you'll excuse me, I have some work to do. Farewell." She vanishes into thin air.

"Can she be trusted?" Seele 06 demanded, his question directed at Keel.

"She has remembered her past life and hates Varian with a passion for his events in it. This is not surprising considering the data on her past I read her deciphered profile data." Keel pauses, "Her eyes are also not those of a Crimson Angel, but those of a human."

* * *

"Ah, this is the life." Asuka comments grandly as she flops onto the first-class seat in the private jet Commander Ikari prepared for the Eva Pilots. "Looks like your father isn't a total jackass, Shinji."

Shinji nods hesitantly as he sits next to the redhead, his seat next to the window. "Yeah, I guess…"

"What's got you worried?" Asuka demanded, "We finally get a break from all the weirdness in our lives and you act like it's a bad thing."

Shinji hesitates before sighing, "I don't know…I'm just worried for some reason…"

Rei sits down in the seat behind Shinji and stares at him calmly. "Relax, Shinji. Be happy that you'll finally be able to relax after so long."

Misato sits in the same row as Shinji and Asuka but across the isle. "Yeah…and thanks again Rei for getting this vacation out of Ikari."

Kaji chuckles and leans against the Major's seat. "Mind if I sit next to you?"

"The seat is taken, sorry." Misato remarked smugly. Kaji raises his eyebrow, noticing everyone is already accounted for and looks in the seat next to Misato. He blinks with surprise as he watches Pen Pen use his flippers to hold a fish up to his beak as he slides it into his mouth and swallows it.

"WAK!"

Kaji sweat drops, "Where am I supposed to sit then?" He demanded with amusement in his voice.

"Sit next to Rei." Misato suggested airily. "Or maybe in the cargo hold."

"Why can't I sit next to you and Pen Pen can sit next to Rei?" Kaji asks curiously.

"Simple, I prefer Pen Pen over you." Misato remarked blandly, causing Kaji to sigh before he sits next to Rei with false resignation.

Rei looks at Kaji curiously, "I am curious why you two act that way around each other."

Kaji smiles but Misato ignores the blue-haired Eva Pilot. "You see, love is complicated and comes in different forms. There's also times when someone is in denial about their own feelings."

Rei ponders this before replying, "You mean like how Shinji and Asuka acted around each other previously?"

This causes both of the Eva Pilots to blush as they hastily stop holding hands and try to act as if they didn't hear Rei. Kaji just chuckles, "That's right, Rei. There are also different ways that lovers act around each other, but usually, they keep most of it to themselves unless they are alone with each other."

"I see…" Rei frowns, "You did not explain why you and Misato act the way you do around each other."

Kaji smiles and leans back in his chair. "That ties in with what I said earlier. Some lovers act like they obviously love each other in public, or they put up a façade in order to hide how they feel about each other."

"Since when did you become an expert in love?" Misato snaps at Kaji, her face slightly red as she turns to face him.

He just shrugs, "It's a matter of knowing how people think."

"To all passengers, the plane is about to take off. Please fasten your seatbelts." The speaker system stated calmly.

* * *

Kensuke stares at his Evangelion Unit in the cage and noticed two cross-shaped devices on his forearms. "Doctor Akagi, what are those?"

"The Crimson Angel's weapon." She stated calmly from the Main Command Center, causing his eyes to widen. "We'd like you to test it out in the Geofront. It's directly linked into the Evangelion Unit, so it won't need to be equipped when you launch."

Kensuke nods as he gets into his entry plug before it enters the Eva. The Eva is launched into the Geofront, appearing five meters from the lake.

"Okay…" Unit 05 raises his right arm, targeting one of the large metal walls used to train the usage of the Crimson Angel weapons. One of them has multiple gashes in it, made by Toji's axe as he tried to understand what his weapon can do. Another of them was cut cleanly into multiple pieces, obviously done by Shinji's AT Field charged slash. "So…how do I use it?"

Ritsuko sighs, "Just focus your Eva's AT Field into it. The AT Field acts like a power source for the Crimson Angel weapon abilities."

"Oh…okay." Kensuke frowns, trying to focus on focusing his Eva's AT Field…no, his mother's AT Field, into the cross on his Evangelion Unit's arm. He had hoped to talk with Shinji about what he discovered in the Magi, but the Third Child had left by the time he arrived.

'Calm down…just forget that information…and focus on the present.' Kensuke thinks to himself as the cross on his right arm glows with a golden aura. "Umm, now what?"

Ritsuko shrugs, "I have no clue." She admits, "Shinji's the only one who managed to discover his Crimson Angel weapon's ability…and he did it by trying different things." She chuckles, "Unit 03 will be heading up there too in order to practice."

Kensuke nods and tries to fire a beam of energy like Shalock did with his weapon…but nothing happened. He blinks, realizing he had never really used his Eva's AT Field as anything but a barrier…and never as a way to increase his Eva's own abilities. The elevator shaft opens and Unit 03 appears out of the elevator, his Crimson Angel weapon comes up from a weapons cache and the Eva grabs it. "How are you doing?" Toji asks, his face appearing in Unit 05's entry plug as communications are opened.

Kensuke sighs, "Fine I guess…I never used an AT Field like this though…"

"Yeah, it's hard to get the hang of it." Toji admits ruefully as his AT Field is charged into the axe, which glows with a golden aura. "I still can't figure out why I can't cut through the metal like Shinji can." Unit 03 slashes the axe at the metal wall he has been practicing with and fires an AT Field slash at the wall, which cuts deeply into the metal unevenly, but is unable to go all the way through. "Gah! Why can't I do it?"

Kensuke shrugs, "Maybe you shouldn't try to copy Shinji's move and create one of your own…one that suits you." Toji blinks in surprise, "What?"

"…That's actually a good idea." Toji admits, "I just didn't expect you to say that."

"Can you help me with this?" Kensuke asks, waving around his AT Field charged weapon attached to his arm. "How do I use my AT Field with this thing?"

Toji frowns, "It's not something I can describe…you'll have to figure it out, sorry."

Kensuke sighs, "Its okay…" He starts swinging his arm around, trying to think of some way for it to fire. "How did you figure it out?"

"I don't know…I just knew how to do it when I did it…like I unconsciously learned it."

Unit 05 swings his right arm around before it stops. 'Geez…this would be easier if it was a machine gun or something…' His eyes widen as the cross fires a scatter-shot version of Shalock's energy attack, white in color. "Whoa, I did it!"

"You idiot, why'd you aim it at me?" Toji shouted before he unconsciously charges his AT Field into his axe rather than projecting a barrier with it. What happened next shocked both of the Eva Pilots greatly. A sphere of translucent dark purple light with an aura of white around it surrounds Unit 03. The energy attack is absorbed into the sphere, which makes a ripple at the contact of each attack as if it's made of water. "Whoa…" The axe glows with a radiant light as the pole portion between the two axe heads, which now resembles a gauge, is partly filled with that same purplish light that surrounded him earlier.

* * *

Ritsuko's eyes widened. "What the hell was that?" She demanded, staring at the data on Maya's computer station.

"Unit 03's Crimson Angel weapon created an Anti-AT Field and blocked and incorporated the AT Field from Unit 05's attack." Maya reported. "At least, that's what the Magi theorized."

'It took an AT Field-based attack and absorbed it?' Ritsuko opens communications with Unit 03. "Toji, I want you to try the AT Field slash again." The Fourth Child just stares back at her through the communication window. "You heard me."

* * *

Toji shrugs, frowning at the gauge before charging his Eva's AT Field into the weapon. The filled portion of the gauge glows with a golden light before Toji slashes down. A large golden sphere is fired out of the tip of the axe, rather than an energy slash. This surprised Toji a great deal but what happened next shocked him. The sphere went straight through the metal wall he'd been practicing with, making a nice clean 10 meter in diameter hole. "What the heck?" The gauge on his axe was now empty.

"Interesting…" Ritsuko mutters, "It fires what appears to be an AT Field blast when, in reality, it's a concentrated Anti-AT Field…" She frowns as the sphere vanishes after its twenty five meters away from Unit 03. "There's a specific range too…" She opens communications with both of the Evas. "Okay, that's good enough for today."

"Aww, but I just got the hang of using this thing." Kensuke complains.

"Too bad." Ritsuko replies flatly, "We'll add the data from your weapons to the simulator so you can practice more, but I'd prefer you not rip the Geofront apart with your testing." She sighs as the Evas both reach the elevator and they are lowered back into the base. 'Well, Commander Ikari will have an interesting report to read later.'

* * *

Morlina smiles on the top of a rooftop in Berlin as an airplane from Japan lands at the airport. "Welcome to Germany, Shinji." She whispers softly. "I look forward to meeting you…"

* * *

A/N: At last, the beginning of their two-week vacation begins. What could Morlina want with Shinji? You'll find out next time.

Read and Review!


	35. The Vacation, Sort of

A/N: I thought about finishing this as quickly as possible, but I decided not to do it that way, mainly because I'd be cutting off the pilots' vacation before it even began. I'm too nice to these children sometimes…Anyways, let's get started.

Asuka looks over the script. "Finally, you're smart enough to let us take a vacation." She notes calmly before looking it over in more detail. "Wait, why the hell are we stuck training on our break?"

"No comment." Vanpat states blandly before dodging one of Asuka's punches. "Nice try, but I learned some basic defensive martial arts after last chapter." She mutters a few swear words before stalking off angrily. Rei stares calmly at the author, getting his attention. "Need something, Rei?"

"May I read the disclaimer so the story may proceed?" She asks in a monotone voice.

Vanpat nods. "Um, sure. I didn't think anyone would volunteer for it though."

Rei faces the audience before speaking. "Vanpat does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion."

* * *

Asuka was ecstatic as her homeland came into site, unable to hide her smile. Schloss Charlottenburg, the largest existing palace in Berlin. The Brandenburg Gate, an iconic landmark in Germany and Berlin. And the Fernsehturm, which was the television tower and highest building in Berlin.'You're awfully cheerful, Asuka.' Kyoko notes calmly.

'I can't help myself, Mama. It feels like it's been forever since I've been here.' She replied cheerfully as the airplane landed.

'I'm happy as well…even though I can no longer look around with my own legs, just being here is good enough.' Kyoko replies softly. 'That's why-' her voice suddenly cut off and she became deathly quiet.

'Mama, is something wrong?'

'…It's nothing…I just felt like we were being watched…' Kyoko replies in an uncertain voice.

Asuka suppresses a giggle, 'You're a huge Eva Unit. I'd think that you'd draw attention.'

'That's NOT what I meant.' Kyoko replied firmly, 'I meant someone or something that wasn't just watching us out of curiosity.'

Asuka frowns, 'Is it a Crimson Angel?'

'I don't think so…it doesn't have the same feeling.'

The speaker suddenly interrupts Asuka's conversation. "We have landed in Schönefeld International Airport. You may remove your seatbelts and exit the plane."

* * *

Morlina watches as the two Evangelion Unit Carrier Units land in the complex of building on Berlin's northern side, which was the Nerv Branch in Berlin. 'They brought the Eva Units just in case…that was a good idea.' She thinks to herself before staring at the airplane the Children came in and sighs. 'We're almost out of time. Varian could make his move now that the first three Children are here and out of the way.' She stares up at the bright blue sky and sighs, 'I won't let your sacrifice be in vain, Sir Eran.' She vanishes into thin air.

* * *

Asuka and Shinji were walking out of the airport with their luggage. Or rather, Asuka was pulling Shinji along with her free hand. Rei walked at a slightly fast walk after the two of them in order to keep up. Misato was tempted to chide Asuka for going ahead without her, but she knew the redhead could handle things herself without any help from her. Kaji chuckles as he looks at Major Katsuragi, "Not going to stop them?"

Misato smiles and shakes her head. "No…I haven't seen Asuka this happy in so long so I won't spoil things for her. Besides, she knows her way around this city quite well." She takes her eyes off of the three Children and focuses them on Kaji. "Where do you plan to look first?"

He shrugs, "I figured I'd tag along with you for awhile before heading off to work." Kaji smiles at the woman. "Do you mind if I do?"

Misato chuckles, "I guess not…but don't think for a single minute that I still like you."

"I would never think that." Kaji looks slightly offended before he laughs. "Well, even though this is a vacation that is mostly for those kids, you should relax a bit too."

"Oh, and what about you?"

"Eh, I don't need to deal with children every day of my life, so I'm not as stressed out as you probably are." Kaji shrugs, "I'll take a vacation after SEELE is in chains." He begins to walk off.

"Wait, I thought you were going to tag along with me." Misato called after him.

He chuckles, turning around to face her. "Well, let me look around first and I'll catch up to you later." Kaji whistles a song to himself as he disappears into the crowd of people going in and out of the airport.

Misato smiles to herself as she bends down and picks up the previously unnoticed Pen Pen and holds him gently. "He never changes, does he?" She asks the penguin.

"WAK!"

* * *

Morlina stares at the SEELE 01 monolith, which vanishes to show Keel sitting in a chair, calmly staring at the Crimson Angel. The other SEELE monoliths appear in a circle around Morlina.

"Have you made your decision?" Morlina finally asks, breaking the silence over the room.

Keel nods. "We have, Morlina. We shall side with Nerv in this matter, but we will NOT ally ourselves with Ikari."

She just chuckles, "I'm not surprised, but I'm curious how you'll prevent Ikari from ordering his Eva Units to take out yours."

"That is why you will extend our alliance to the Third Child." Keel states calmly. "You had planned on speaking with him, correct?"

Morlina smiles from under her hooded cloak. "Very well, Keel. I will speak with the Third Child about this." She stares calmly at the man. "I'd suggest you all keep a low profile. Nerv has sent Kaji to investigate the area to hunt you down."

"I see." Keel remarks flatly. "Hopefully, we shall remain undetected until the time has come." He stands up and walks over to the door behind him, which opens as he approaches. "You know what must be done…" He walks through the doorway, which closes after he goes through it. The other SEELE monoliths vanish after he departs, leaving Morlina alone in the room.

* * *

Shinji looked exhausted as the sun began to set in Berlin. The source of his exhaustion was from being pulled along by his girlfriend to see the sights. The redhead also looked tired, but hid it behind her joy of being back in her homeland. Rei was also exhausted from following the two children around the city, interested in observing the differences in human interaction in a different country.

"Asuka…maybe we should take a break." Shinji suggested breathlessly, "After all, we'll be here for two whole weeks."

Asuka sighs, "Yeah…let's head to the Nerv Branch here. The Commander probably planned for us to stay there anyways." Suddenly, a shadow of a figure that she recognized quite well moved into a nearby alleyway. "…On second thought, follow me." Shinji didn't have much choice and was dragged along by the redhead to the entrance of the alleyway while Asuka peeks in.

"Did you see something?" Rei asks the Second Child in a calm, yet curious, voice.

"Yeah…Kaji is talking to some guy in the alleyway…" Asuka muttered, "But I can't hear what they're saying." She watches them talk in a T-shaped alleyway for awhile before Kaji hands the man, which is wearing a trench coat and hat, a stack of money before both of them leave in opposite directions.

"What happened?" Shinji asks curiously.

"I think it was a meeting of some kind…probably information." Asuka replies softly before jumping as a hand touches her shoulder and she swings her left arm out to her side.

Kaji catches the arm before it hit him in the face. "Geez, that's quite the greeting, Asuka." He remarks.

"Oh, err, sorry." Asuka mutters as she lets her arm drop after Kaji releases it, looking slightly embarrassed. "What were you doing in there?"

"Ah, curious huh?" Kaji smirks at the three children. "Well, what do you think I was doing?"

"Asuka believes you were meeting with an informant." Rei states in a monotone voice.

Kaji blinks, "That's…actually pretty accurate." He admits before shrugging. "Well, I might as well tell you. Commander Ikari sent me with you as a way to get me to Central Europe to track down a lead on SEELE's whereabouts."

"EH?" Asuka gapes at him, "You mean they're here?"

Kaji shrugs, "I'm not sure yet. There's a high chance of it, but we'll see if they are or not." His face brightens, "Anyways, Misato is probably waiting for you at Nerv, so we'd better get going." The man's tone implied that he was going to escort them back, making Shinji and Rei happy while Asuka just shrugs, tired but desiring to show Shinji the rest of the sights in Berlin. Kaji begins to lead the way back to the Nerv Branch in Berlin and when they are five meters away from the alleyway…

'Shinji, you're being watched.' Yui says sharply to her son, causing the boy to turn around sharply and stare at a black cloaked and robed figure in the alleyway, her blue eyes surveying him curiously before she smiles and nods at the boy before walking down the alleyway.

Shinji wastes no time in regretfully breaking away from Asuka's grip and dashing down to the alleyway, but the hooded figure has vanished. "Shinji, what's wrong?" Asuka demanded after grabbing his right shoulder with her hand.

"…I thought I saw something, but I guess I imagined it." Shinji replies softly, causing the redhead's eyes narrow but she decided not to press the issue in public. She could tell when the Third Child was lying to her, but smiles after feeling that he probably had a reason for it.

"Can we get going now?" Kaji calls back, standing next to Rei and looking back at the two Eva Pilots. "We should get to Nerv before nightfall or Misato will have a fit."

* * *

Misato scowls at Kaji as he approached the base with the children. "You're late." She states in a flat voice.

Kaji grins, "It's good to see you too, Misato." He replies airily, "I decided to round up the children so you didn't have to worry about them."

Misato was grateful for that but refused to let Kaji know that. "Yeah, yeah…great excuse." She mutters darkly before staring at the children. "We'll be staying in Nerv for the time we're here." Misato gives the First Child a map and each of the children a keycard. "Can you find your way to your rooms by yourself?" The three of them nod. "Okay, the map also has the location of the cafeteria when you get hungry. I'll be heading there in a minute…I have to talk with Kaji for a moment."

"Oh, I'm honored." Kaji bows at the woman as the three children head into the base. "So, what do you need?"

Misato's face becomes serious. "Any leads on SEELE yet?"

Kaji frowns, "I narrowed it down further, but it'll be awhile until I'm completely certain." He pauses, "SEELE isn't in Berlin, that I've confirmed. Looks like I'll be heading to Hamburg tomorrow." Kaji grins at the Major. "Sorry that I can't stick around but Ikari wants to bring the fight to the Crimson Angel's HQ, so we'll need to find out from SEELE where it is."

Misato looks away. "I won't miss you…" she mutters darkly, but her eyes betrayed her annoyed expression.

Kaji kisses her gently on the lips before hugging her tightly. "Well, I'll miss you." He admits.

Misato hugs him back just as tightly. "You're a complete idiot, Kaji…Good luck out there, and don't get yourself killed."

He smiles gently as he lets go of her. "I don't plan on it, Major Katsuragi." Kaji replied airily as he walks away from the Nerv Branch in Berlin, raising his hand in the air and waving it without looking back. "See you again soon!" Misato closes her eyes slowly before turning around and heading back to the base.

* * *

The next day, Rei requested that both Shinji and Asuka meet her in a medium-sized room in a lower level of the base, which was normally used for sparring. When the two lovebirds arrived, they were surprised to see Rei out of her school uniform and wearing her plug suit instead. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor and her eyes open after the two children enter the room. Asuka was wearing a white tank top and a red skirt that went down to her knees. Shinji was wearing a white buttoned shirt and dark grey pants.

"Okay Rei, what's so important that you needed to call us down at…" She glances at the clock. "…Eight in the morning? We just had breakfast and were about to head out, but Shinji insisted that we should find out what you wanted."

Rei smiles and rises to her feet. "It's time to train the both of you how to use your AT Fields in an effective way." Before Asuka can reply to that, Rei continues. "We will practice two hours a day, which shouldn't be an issue considering I was the one who won the bet and got this vacation for all of us in the first place."

Asuka glares at the First Child after being so calmly overruled. "…Fine, I guess two hours isn't that much time." She resigns before staring at Shinji. "Do you have any problems with it?"

Shinji shakes his head. "No, I don't have any problems with it." The redhead sighs, hoping Shinji might protest.

"Very well." Rei closes her eyes and a white aura surrounds her body and two angelic wings appear on her back, causing both of the Pilot's eyes to widen. "This is the perfected form of using the AT Field in tandem with your body."

"Whoa…Wait, I saw Hikari do that in the simulator!" Asuka shouted in amazement. "But her wings were golden rather than white!"

Rei nods seriously, "On instinct, she was able to unlock the perfected form for a short period of time before she fell unconscious. She didn't remember the event but her will and desire to protect her friends allowed her to unlock the ability to project her AT Field…and when Shalock pushed her into an emotional corner, she unconsciously activated the perfected form."

Shinji frowns, "By why are the colors for you and Hikari different?" He asks curiously.

"The AT Field is the extension of our will and the perfected form of the AT Field aura will reflect on your personality." Rei states calmly. "But you two are far from reaching this."

"How do we unlock it then?" Asuka demanded.

"Training how to control your emotions and the manipulation of your AT Field." Rei states calmly before vanishing and reappearing behind the two pilots, gently landing on her feet.

'Mein Gott!' Asuka swears as she turns around sharply. 'How did she move that fast?' Shinji also turned around sharply, his eyes widened in amazement.

"This is the importance of training your AT Field." She states calmly. "If you encounter a Crimson Angel without your Evangelion, this will allow you to defend yourself."

Asuka was convinced at this point and slowly nods, as does the Third Child. "Where do we start?" The redhead asks.

"First, I would like you to start using your AT Field with your body. I wish to examine how far your powers have developed." Rei stated in a monotone voice.

Asuka closes her eyes, trying to focus on her AT Field. 'Asuka, you're doing it wrong.' Kyoko notes, breaking her concentration.

'Don't startle me like that!' Asuka snapped in her mind.

'Sorry, Asuka. Don't focus on your AT Field, but your emotions. Stay cool and collected as you focus on what you want to protect.' Kyoko states calmly.

'Fine, fine…' She glances at Shinji, who has a bright golden aura around him and slightly reddish eyes. '…Focus…' She closes her eyes and a reddish-orange aura appears around her body and her eyes are blood red in color.

Rei stares at the both of them briefly. "Shinji, your emotions are mostly under control. Remember, the will and desire of the user is also important." She looks at the redhead. "…Asuka, you're doing better than I expected you to for your first time. Your will is strong…very strong, actually." She notices the aura around her back area is slightly spread outwards, as if trying to form wings. "Your will must be absolute, however. In order to reach the perfected form, you must have absolutely no doubts in your mind." The blue-haired Eva Pilot pauses. "Your emotions aren't very stable right now. Calm down."

'Easy for her to say…' Asuka thought to herself as she tried to get her mind off the fact this was interrupting her quality time with Shinji. Suddenly, love fills her heart as she thinks about the boy.

Rei's eyes widen as the aura around Asuka stabilizes around her, now an outline around her figure and orange in color, her eyes purple in color. 'She stabilized the AT Field to this point in an instant? I underestimated her…' She notices the uneven aura around Shinji become more stable. "Excellent work, but just reaching this level of control doesn't mean we can afford to stop here. You need to learn how to keep this state while fighting."

Asuka smirks, "We can fight anyone with ease with this kind of power. Right Shinji?" He nods hesitantly, having a feeling that they'd be fighting…

"Do not become overconfident, Asuka. Your opponent will be me." Rei states in an amused tone of voice.

Shinji sighs while Asuka gasps, "Are you serious?" she demanded. "What if we injure you?"

Rei smiles, "At this point, you won't even be able to touch me….Shinji on the other hand…" She vanishes and reappears five feet behind where she was standing, Shinji's fist right where her chest just was. "…Might be able to pull it off."

Asuka was barely able to see Shinji move. 'Damn…this'll be a pain in the ass.' She thinks to herself.

Within fifteen minutes, the two Pilots were exhausted from constantly using their AT Field, yet Rei stood there with no signs of exhaustion. "I honestly didn't expect you to be able to hit me, but I did want to see how well you could perform in combat." She looks at Shinji, "Your mother has obviously trained you in the usage of your AT Field, so you've reached a level where I can start training you at without much difficulty." She looks at Asuka and sighs, "You'll need to have your mother instruct you about using your AT Field."

'She isn't ready yet…' Kyoko mutters.

"I think she is, Kyoko." Rei replies firmly. "Stop holding her back and help her."

Kyoko is heard sighing in Asuka's mind. 'Very well…'

* * *

"So, how did the training go, Rei?" Misato asks curiously over dinner in the cafeteria. The three pilots, Misato, Kaji, and even Pen Pen are sitting at a circular table in the corner of the room.

"They did adequately." The First Child notes in a monotone voice as she calmly eats the vegetarian salad in front of her with a fork.

Shinji and Asuka looked exhausted and ate the food in front of them slowly. "I think you overworked them."

"You think?" Asuka snapped weakly before breathing out deeply. "Mein Gott, she's a slave driver."

"I am right here, you know." Rei points out calmly as she finishes her salad. "I may have overworked you a bit, as I was uncertain about the limitations that normal humans have with their AT Fields." She cleans her lips and hands with her napkin. "I've decided to lower the practice time to one hour per day. Is that acceptable?"

Asuka was tempted to swear at Rei but bit her lips shut, remembering how she only lasted about 55 minutes before she couldn't move anymore. "Fine…"

'Don't worry it gets easier as you go along. The more you use it, the more your body becomes used to it.' Kyoko says to her daughter.

'Yeah, I know.' Asuka mutters in reply.

"Well, I think I'll be heading out soon." Kaji says with a shrug. "SEELE won't flush themselves out, you know." He stands up and picks up his empty plate and brings it back to the counter before leaving the room.

Misato rolls her eyes, "He's going to get himself killed if he acts recklessly out there." She mutters darkly as she watches the man leave the room. Pen Pen takes one of the fish on his plate with his flippers before swallowing the fish whole.

"WAK!"

* * *

"So, how will you be training us today?" The redhead asks flatly. Her tone of voice showed she obviously wasn't happy about the idea of becoming dead tired again.

Rei was in her school uniform rather than her plug suit. "I will be training your minds rather than your bodies." She stated calmly. "Asuka, did your mother explain the basics?" The redhead nods. "Good…the first thing we'll be doing is-" She stops herself, frowning slightly. "…Actually, I think it's time to tell you the truth of the events than lead to the Crimson Angels and the Angel Wars themselves. Come here and sit down."

Both of the children were curious as they approached and sat down in front of Rei, who was also on the floor. She holds out her hands, "Hold onto my hands, both of you."

"Why?" Asuka demanded. "I'm all for bonding, but if this is just some stupid thing to comfort me then-"

"Just do it." Rei snapped, causing the redhead to grumble and hold onto Rei's right and while Shinji holds onto Rei's left. "Now, hold each other's hand." They held each other's hands.

"Is there a point to this?" Asuka finally demanded.

"Do you know that the AT Field can partially merge with other AT Fields if both users allow it?" Rei asked calmly. When Shinji nods, she continues. "I need you two to let that barrier merge with mine. It would be easier to SHOW you the truth rather than explain it."

Asuka looks nervously at Shinji and sighs after seeing him nod. Both of them break down the barrier between them and Rei. "This will feel strange, but don't fight it." She closes her eyes and transfers the truth of what happened billions of years ago to the Eva Pilots.

Shinji gasps painfully a second later as he lets go of Rei's hand, holding onto his head tightly. Asuka's reaction was similar, except she went so far as to punch Rei, who just blocked it with her hand. "Mein Gott…why didn't you WARN us it hurts this much?" Asuka shouted at Rei after she catches her breath.

"Would you have allowed me to show you if I told you?" Rei replies calmly, causing the redhead to swear before calming down.

"Was that true?" Shinji asks softly, "What we saw?"

Rei sighs sadly. "Yes…Originally, I had planned to only tell Shinji after the last demon-form Crimson Angel was defeated, but Asuka also deserves to truth…and it'd be best if I told you now."

The boy looks sadly at Rei. "…Kaworu showed you this, didn't he?" Rei hesitates for a fraction of a second before nodding. "If he was truly meant to test humanity, then why did the other Angels attack us with such ferocity?"

"The other Angels shielded the damage caused by First Impact from damaging Kaworu seriously…allowing him to retain his sanity." Rei responds in a quiet voice. "The other Angels lost their original form and were corrupted by the Darkness coming out of the Doorway, turning them into mindless beasts."

"What about Varian?" Asuka growls, recovering from the pain and curious how Varian and the other human-form Crimson Angels have human form.

"Varian used the majority of Lucifer's servants as a shield." Rei replies in a disgusted voice. "By doing that, he kept his original powers and is the only true Fallen Angel still in existence in this world. The other human-form Crimson Angels have the spirits of strong-willed humans inside them, allowing them to retain their reason by using the human as a medium. Those who were unable to withstand the power of the Crimson Angel became mindless beasts." Rei pauses, "If a human gets too strong and attempts to betray Varian, then the Crimson Angel will kill the host in order to prevent its power from being used against Varian."

Shinji frowns, "What about Chivalt? He betrayed Varian openly and-" His voice cuts off as his eyes widen, vaguely remembering the exchange between Chivalt and Varian. "…The Crimson Angel sided with the human, right?"

Rei nods, "By doing that, Chivalt gained power equivalent to Lord Varian, but his weakened state left him at a disadvantage…" She notices Shinji's expression. "It wasn't your fault. He made his choice." She stares at the both of them. "Any other questions?"

"The Lance of Longinus." Asuka said in a flat voice. "What the hell are they really?"

Rei smiles, "The Lance of Longinus' were created to act as a way to prevent a Progenitor of Life from going against its purpose. It also acts as a divine weapon with the ability to magnify a Progenitor of Life's power."

"Where's Lilith's Lance of Longinus?" Shinji asks quietly. "If the Crimson Angels have Adam's Lance of Longinus, then where is Lilith's?"

Rei becomes deathly quiet. "It was used as the sealing mechanism for the Doorway of Darkness…but it was summoned to Unit 01 during Third Impact." Shinji blinks, vague remembering how the Lance of Longinus almost seemed to cut in half and become two Lances' instead of one. "As for where it is now, I don't know. It's possible it is gone forever now…"

"…What happens if the Doorway is opened and Lucifer is freed?" Asuka asked in a quiet voice.

Rei sighs, "We'll have a chance if we kill him quickly, but if his full power is restored, it's all over."

Silence dominated the room before Shinji speaks out. "Then we beat the Crimson Angels and kill Lucifer." Asuka stares at him with amazement. "The Doorway is meant to limit the majority of his power when he is released, right?" Rei nods, "Then we just take Adam's Lance of Longinus and kill him with it."

Rei smiles, "That is correct, and if we train enough, we might not even need the Lance of Longinus. The power of the Evangelions is high enough that we might win without the Lance…once the others unlock their Eva's full potential." She stands up and walks to the door and opens it. "That's all I really wanted to do today." She admitted. "So you can leave for today."

Asuka leaves the room slowly with a concerned expression but Shinji stops at the door. "Rei…do you know where the Crimson Angel's are hiding?"

"They likely have a base around the area of the Doorway…but Kaworu didn't show me where it is…so we'll have to find it on our own."

"Thank you Rei." Shinji smiles as he catches up with Asuka, planning to cheer her up after hearing such bleak news.

* * *

Asuka sighs as the redhead and the brunette walk down the sidewalk, a few blocks away from Nerv. 'I didn't think things were that bad…fighting the Devil himself. Can we even win?'

'I'm not sure…' Kyoko mutters, 'The situation was worse than I thought…I need to think about this for awhile.'

Shinji gently holds onto Asuka's hand and smiles at her. "Don't worry. We've beaten everything they sent our way." He frowns, "What happened to the unbeatable Asuka?"

"She left after seeing our opponent is the Devil himself. If God himself couldn't beat him, how can we?" Asuka asked softly.

"We just will. Didn't God seal him in order to give humanity a chance to kill him? I doubt he'd do that if there wasn't a chance of pulling it off." Shinji replies as he kisses her on the cheek. "Right?"

Asuka smiles and kisses him gently on the lips. "Yeah, thanks for saying that." Her eyes widened slightly before she pulls Shinji away from the nearby alleyway and gets into a defensive position, glaring at the black cloaked and hooded figure in the alleyway. "Who are you?"

"…My name is Morlina." The figure replied softly, causing Asuka to immediately charges at her in the alleyway and throw an AT Field charged punch at the woman. She just catches the punch, which sends a shockwave back behind her, blowing her hood off. Her hair was golden blonde in color and cascaded down her shoulders and back, her features seemed to indicate an age around 25, but they seemed off. The thing that shocked Asuka, however, was that her eyes weren't blood red, but a crystal clear blue in coloration. "Nice move, but you aren't quite strong enough to face me with that kind of attack." She replied calmly.

Before the situation could degrade any further, Shinji steps in and grabs Asuka's right arm with his right hand, staring calmly at the Crimson Angel. "…Asuka, wait a minute. I don't think she's here to fight us."

"She pinned me and my Eva to the ground when I tried to kill Varian!" Asuka snapped, "And you expect me to just let her go?"

"I apologize for that. My allegiance still lied with Varian at the time, but after Sir Eran's sacrifice, I chose to go against Varian and side with SEELE against him."

"Wait, what?" Shinji's eyes widen, "You mean…SEELE is betraying the Crimson Angels…and who is Sir Eran? Do you mean Chivalt?"

Morlina smiles at the boy. "Sir Eran was the name Chivalt had when he was human…and I forgot all about him until he died in battle."

Asuka calms down as her eyes widen. "Wait, he talked about a Princess…are you-"

Morlina sighs, "Yes, I'm Princess Loriana…or was, at any rate. I wanted to speak with you, Shinji Ikari, but your girlfriend may be included in our discussion."

"As if I'd leave him alone with you." Asuka snapped at her.

Loriana sighs before leaning her back against the alleyway wall. "As of right now, Varian has a small army of Mass-Produced Evangelion Units and his own personal Evangelion, Unit-S01, ready for battle." She says in a serious voice, "SEELE has their own MP Eva Units, but not enough to match them in number. Keel, the leader of SEELE, wants to form a truce with Ikari and you Eva Pilots in order to match them in a direct fight."

Shinji and Asuka stare in amazement at her before the redhead swears in German. "You think we'd side with those bastards after the shit they pulled with Third Impact?"

"I know that…and you have no reason to trust me either, but the situation is far too dangerous to have a three way fight when Varian has the advantage." Loriana states flatly. "Like Chivalt, my Crimson Angel is against Varian. If we join forces, we can match Varian when he sends his forces…and he WILL if Varkon fails in its task."

The pilots' eyes both widen. "What do you mean?" Shinji demanded.

Loriana sighs, "Varian knew about your vacation and planned to wait until you left Japan before sending Varkon to Nerv. If he loses, which he likely will, Varian will unleash every MP Eva Unit down there and rip the Geofront apart."

"Don't the Eva's need a pilot?" Asuka demanded.

"That's why they hacked into the Magi. They needed the data on the dummy plug system." She replies softly. "He DIDN'T expect Shalock to get himself killed, however."

Asuka quickly dashes away from the Crimson Angel and back towards the Nerv Branch in Berlin. Shinji is about to follow her before Morlina's voice interrupted him. "There's nothing you can do to prevent the inevitable, Shinji. The future right now is written in stone…and there's no way to prevent the loss your side will endure."

He glares at the woman. "That's not up to you to decide." He snapped before following after Asuka.

'Shinji…I pray that you'll be able to reach them in time…but nothing can be done for Unit 04 and its pilot. Their fates are sealed.' Loriana thinks sadly to herself before vanishing into thin air.

* * *

A/N: At last, we get some more information and the possibility of an alliance, another thing I never thought of in my original storyline…but looking back at the timeline, it was pretty boring. This alliance with SEELE and Loriana will definitely spice things up. See you next time!

Read and Review!


	36. The Fate of Unit 04

A/N: I've decided to post this one early...So it's time for the final demon-form Crimson Angel. Will Shinji, Asuka, and Rei get back to Nerv before the inevitable occurs?

Patrick glances at the script. "Nope." He answers.

Vanpat looks annoyed, "Don't spoil the ending for the readers." He mutters darkly.

Sarah glares at the author with the fierceness of a Crimson Angel. "If Patrick dies, I'm coming for your head." She growled.

Vanpat flinched, "Umm, Patrick, read the disclaimer." He says quickly.

The Fifth Child sighs and faces the audience. "Vanpat, our esteemed author, does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion."

* * *

Sarah seemed a bit uneasy as she entered Nerv HQ. Patrick just asked what was wrong but she told him it was nothing, that she was just tired. However, she wouldn't even look him in the eye…that's what made him nervous. She always looked directly at someone when talking, unless she was focused on something else that was more pressing, like during battle. He could tell she was lying but he wouldn't press the issue.

The two Eva Pilots enter the Secondary Command Center just as the battle between Toji and Kensuke comes to an end, with the battle ending in a tie. Both pilots seemed tired, yet happy at how the battle turned out. Unit 05 fired a scatter-shot energy blast at Unit 03, who just put up that Anti-AT Field sphere around him, filling the axe gauge for Unit 03's weapon. The Eva fired an Anti-AT Field sphere, which Kensuke wisely chose to dodge before firing a massive beam cannon from his Crimson Angel weapon, hitting Unit 03's Anti-AT Field sphere continuously. The gauge filled completely and the sphere around Unit 03 went down, letting the energy beam hit Toji's Eva head-on and blasting him onto the ground. When Kensuke moved in to finish him, Unit 03 raised it's axe and released a massive Anti-AT Field sphere that enveloped the both of them, ending the battle.

Sarah snaps out of her uneasy mood after watching the recording and whistles softly to herself. "That's pretty impressive." She comments.

Ritsuko nods absently, overlooking the data. "Unit 05's Crimson Angel weapon is divided into two parts. A multiple scatter-shot function and a massive beam cannon function, and both are powered by his Eva's AT Field." She states half to herself as overlooks the data the Magi collected on their scans of the weapon merged with both of Unit 05's forearms.

"Unit 03's Crimson Angel weapon absorbs an opponent's AT Field with an Anti-AT Field sphere and stores it in the axe." Ritsuko notes, "When it is full, the sphere automatically turns off, forcing the user to expel the stored energy in order to use the sphere again."

Hikari walks over and hugs Toji while Sarah and Patrick walk over to Ritsuko. She notices them and nods, "Yes, we're doing sync tests today so get suited up immediately."

The pilots both sigh but before they can move, the alarm starts going off. Ritsuko rushes over to the phone and quickly dials it. "What's going on?" Her face becomes bleak as she heard the answer and hangs it up. "A Crimson Angel has been detected above Tokyo-03. All Eva Pilots are to go to their Evas immediately."

* * *

"Contact Major Katsuragi and inform her to return immediately." Commander Ikari orders firmly, staring at a visual of the target on the main screen in the Command Center. The target appeared to be a perfect sphere of concentrated light energy and white in color, which was ironic considering what the Crimson Angels truly were. Three rings of light encircled the creature, all three meeting up in the front and back with smaller energy spheres following along the path of the rings and encircling the enemy.

"We can't contact Major Katsuragi! The signal is being jammed!" Hyuga reported.

Ritsuko enters the room with Maya right behind her, both taking the side elevator up to the control booth. "What's the status of the Evangelions?" She demanded.

"All five are ready for launch." Aoba reported, "All five pilots are ready."

"Launch them." Commander Ikari orders.

* * *

Sarah knew exactly what would happen if they fought this Crimson Angel. The nightmare she has been having was just too vivid to be a dream, but a premonition. She tried to stop Patrick, but he said that he already knew and would rather have himself die than her. She bangs her fist against the controls of her Eva, tears streaming down her cheeks. 'You idiot…stop giving me this self-sacrificing bullshit…how do you think I'd feel if I lost you again?'

The five Eva Units reach the surface and surround the target in a star formation, each Eva grabbing a weapon that best suited them. Sarah went with a Prog Spear and, oddly enough, a Prog Sword stabbed into the ground near her as a secondary weapon. Kensuke had a machine gun and the Crimson Angel weapon given to his Eva by Shalock, the two crosses on his Eva's forearms. Toji has the axe he took from Revalt in his Eva's hands. Hikari has her Eva-sized shield in her left hand while her right holds a Prog Sword. Patrick, inside Unit 04, has the staff he came to Nerv equipped with in his right hand.

The pilots readied their weapons cautiously, unaware of the true danger this Crimson Angel would bring. An overpowering silence hovered over the battlefield until it was suddenly broken. "It's over…" A voice whispered into the air, audible to the Eva Pilots before the Crimson Angel shot right into Unit 04 before anyone could react.

* * *

"The Crimson Angel is bio-fusing with Unit 04!" Hyuga shouted.

"What?" Ritsuko demanded in horror. "Cut off the pilot's connection to the Eva!"

"We can't!" Maya replied with a fearful expression. "The Eva won't respond to our commands!"

"We're detecting a second S2 Core in Unit 04!" Hyuga reported bleakly. "It's taking over and suppressing the effects of Unit 04's S2 Engine and the Core!"

* * *

Sarah bit her lip nervous as she opened communications with Unit 04 and had to suppress a gasp of shock at Patrick's appearance. His eyes were now blood red in color and he appeared to be a few years older with stands of his hair now grey in color. "P-Patrick?"

The young man smirks, "Not quite." The voice was a cross between Patrick's own voice and the voice of Tech, which sounded darker now. "His body is mine now…and I'm going to force him to watch as I destroy everything while he stands helpless."

Sarah heard the other pilots swearing at this situation, Toji himself afraid because he was once in the same situation that Patrick was in now when Unit 03 was possessed by an Angel. The only way they won against the possessed Unit 03 was when Ikari activated the dummy plug to force Unit 01 to fight…but could they take down the Crimson Angel without losing Unit 04?

Sarah let a single tear fall from her eyes before her expression became full of resolve. "There's still time to stop him. If we use our AT Fields, we could drive it out of Unit 04."

"Oh, good plan girl." Varkon replies through Patrick's lips. "However, what will happen if you do? I'll just go into someone else's Eva and this will start all over again." Unit 04's armor starts to crack in multiple places as the crimson Angel begins altering it to suit his needs. "Hmm, this boy is interesting…he's a sad individual, preferring to be alone rather than talk with others…he even has a dark side to him, the urge to satisfy his own immediate desires…"

"Patrick isn't like that!" Sarah shouted as she charged at Unit 04 and swung her spear down at the Eva, which deflected it with its staff before kicking Unit 06 back.

"You've only seen one side of him, girl. Everyone has their inner demons…Oh? He also loves you very deeply…I wonder how he'd stop me from killing you?" He smirks as he types in a key combination. _"Eva Limiter Release Activate." _He states in English as the Eva's silver armor turns blood red rather than its normal golden color, due to the Crimson Angel's possession. "And I wonder how you'd stop me without killing him…" He grins evilly as he stands up in the cockpit, the Eva's movements now tied in with the Pilots'. _"Project 'Lightbringer' Activate."_

No one was prepared for what happened next. Unit 04's shoulder holsters opened and red crosses floated out of them, seven in total. The Eva glowed with a black aura with tinges of white inside. What truly shocked them is what the Crimson Angel's influence began to do to the Eva itself. The armor morphed into a more angular form with a red visor over its' eyes (Similar to Rebuild of Evangelion – Eva Unit Mark 06). Two blood red AT Field Wings grow on his back, diamond in shape.

"Hmm, interesting…" Varkon muttered as he swung his staff to the side, the force of it causing the ground to shatter.

* * *

Maya looked horrified, "Eva Unit 04's AT Field has fused with the Crimson Angel's!"

"Unit 04's AT Field strength is equivalent to a 400 sync!" Hyuga shouted.

Ritsuko's eyes narrow before opening communications with the Eva Pilots. "Take down the Eva Unit immediately."

"You aren't serious!" Kensuke protested, "Patrick's still in there!"

Sarah was deathly quiet as she responds. "We need to take him down. Patrick's no longer in control…and if we don't stop him, we'll all die." She stares sadly at Ritsuko. "He'll die from using both of those abilities anyways, won't he?" Ritsuko doesn't answer her, but her frown proved the girl accurately guessed. "Let's go…"

Toji stares at Sarah in shock. "But…you're talking about your boy-"

"I KNOW THAT!" She screamed; forcing her tears back with the pain from biting her lip, so hard in fact that it began to bleed. "We have to do this…and pray we'll be able to defeat the Crimson Angel without killing Patrick…" She tosses her Prog Spear into his left hand while his right grabs the Prog Sword she took out of the Eva Weapons Cache earlier.

Hikari stares sadly at the Pilot of Unit 06 and sighs before gripping her shield and sword tightly and imagining if she was in the same situation as Sarah with Toji possessed instead before shaking her head. 'No, don't focus on that…'

"Let's begin." Varkon smirks as he flies straight at Unit 07.

* * *

Misato had a hard time believing that a Crimson Angel would tell the truth, but after finding out the communications to the Nerv Branch in Tokyo-03 was cut off, she decided to let the Pilots fly back to Nerv, just in case. Units 00 and 02 had two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on their backs, with Asuka and Shinji in Unit 02 while Rei stayed alone in Unit 00.

Shinji closed his eyes, trying to communicate with his mother in Unit 01 in order to find out the situation at Nerv. 'Mother, what's happening?'

Yui's voice was bleak as she responded. 'A Crimson Angel arrived and took over Unit 04…so I can't risk doing anything reckless. If it takes me over, they win.'

"Asuka, the Crimson Angel took over Unit 04, just like the thirteenth Angel took over Unit 03." Shinji relays the information to the redhead, who swears angrily in German.

"Rei! We're going on ahead!" Asuka shouted to the First Child through a comm. window as two more AT Field wings appear on Unit 02's back, causing the Eva to fly faster.

'Lilith…' Rei states quietly. 'Please aid me…'

'Of course, my daughter.' Lilith replies softly, two more AT Field wings forming on Unit 00's back, allowing Rei to keep up with Unit 02.

* * *

'How pitiful you are, boy.' Tech's voice sounds in Patrick's mind as a young five year old child with slightly unruly black hair sits huddled on the floor, his face hidden from view. 'How strong and confident you seemed on the outside, yet but a child on the inside.'

"It's not true…" The boy whispers in a quiet voice. "It's not true…"

'You're even afraid of human contact, just like you were as a child.'

The boy whimpers softly before looking up, revealing his clear blue eyes. "I've grown up…I'm no longer like that…"

'Yet you keep your distance from Sarah, despite your own feelings for her.' Tech chuckles, 'You're afraid of opening up completely to her, to show this weak side of yours to anyone.'

"Why…Why are you doing this?"

Tech becomes silent, 'Why did you get credit for my simulator program? Why did you get chosen as an Eva Pilot?'

"I never wanted the credit for your work…I only helped a little bit, yet I received more credit because of my age…" Patrick whispers, "I never wanted that…"

'You're lying! All of my work went unrecognized!' Tech's voice shouted. 'You didn't even bother to correct them!'

"That's because you caused the death of so many people shortly afterwards…" The boy whispered, "I never got the chance…"

'Then why were you chosen as an Eva Pilot?' He roared at the boy. 'Why did fate seem to shine on you instead of me?'

* * *

Hikari barely had enough time to raise her shield to block Unit 04's staff, yet the force of the attack causing the ground under her to shatter and she fell to one knee. Her eyes widen in horror as two of the crosses floated to her sides and fired a laser beam straight through her chest, just barely missing her S2 Core.

"Hikari!" Toji shouted before charging straight at the possessed Evangelion and swinging his axe down at it. Varkon smirks as two of the crosses hover on either side of him and one behind him, all of them projecting a Crimson AT Field that blocks Toji's attack from his right, while simultaneously blocking Unit 06's Prog Sword slash and Prog Spear thrust from his left and the barrage of bullets from Unit 05 from behind. "What?"

Unit 04's AT Field blasts outward, knocking the Evangelion Units back at least twenty-five meters before all seven crosses point their outer end away from Unit 04 as they surround him. "Dance of Blades." The crosses fire constant beams of energy outwards and rapidly circle around the Eva, acting like propeller blades and cutting through nearby buildings.

Unit 07 channels its AT Field into her shield, managing to successfully block the attack. Unit 03 stabs his axe into the ground, head first, planning to use it to vault over the attack, but is shocked when the laser beams stop spinning after one of them hits it; a golden aura surrounding the Crimson Angel weapon. Units 05 and 06, who were planning to dash behind Hikari for protection, stared in amazement at this.

Hikari's thoughts about this development quickly came to a conclusion. "Those spinning lasers move in tandem with the others, meaning if one is stopped, the others are unable to move." She frowns, "I think they can't attack the Crimson Angel weapon for some reason though…"

Varkon growls with annoyance, 'Damned safety measure that Varian put in his servants that prevents us from attacking those weapons.' He thinks irritably before glaring at the Pilot of Unit 07. 'That girl is smart…too smart. If she finds the secret behind these attacks, they could easily cancel them out.'

* * *

The boy stares sadly up at the young man in front of him, the assassin known as 'Tech' by SEELE. "It wasn't like I chose that."

'That's bullshit!' Tech grabs the boy from the scruff of his shirt and lifts him up, despite the boy's struggling. 'You willingly chose to be a Pilot, probably because of your pride. You thought you were special…better than everyone else, right?'

"…You don't…understand…" The boy weakly gasped out.

'I understand quite well, boy. I can see your thoughts and your feelings thanks to Varkon.' Tech growls and his eyes narrow dangerously as a faint smirk appears on the boy's face. 'What's so funny?'

"It's ironic…"

'What is that suppose to mean, brat?' Tech growls.

"I can see your thoughts too…" He replied weakly, "That pride you're talking about is your own…" Tech glares at the boy with malice. "And you wanted to pilot Eva to show how great you are…and for the sake of humanity." Tech's grip tightens. "Yet, you sold your soul to the people who seek out destruction. That's why it's ironic."

Tech's eyes widen before angrily throwing the boy onto the ground. "Don't act so arrogant, you brat!' He snapped angrily. 'You don't understand ANYTHING!' The man draws his fist back and aims a punch straight at the boy. Just before it hits, however, a golden AT Field blocks the attack and repels the man. 'What the hell?'

"You will not harm him." A woman's voice stated firmly as she appears between the two of them. Her hair was black and long, drawn into a ponytail. Her eyes are as blue as the boy's, which have widened in shock at this point. She is wearing a white lab coat with a blue top underneath and a long skirt goes down to her legs.

"Mommy?"

* * *

Ritsuko frowns as Maya analyzes the attack used by Unit 04's crosses. 'The Crimson Angel has modified Unit 04's Project 'Lightbringer' and Eva L.R. Program…' She thinks to herself. She knew for a fact that an AT Field was used to manipulate where the crosses went and used the AT Field as a power source rather than a weapon. "Maya, did the Magi find out anything?"

She nods, "The Crimson Angel seems to be infusing its attacks with its AT Field to increase the destructive power." Maya reported. "There's a good chance an Anti-AT Field could cancel out the attack."

* * *

As Ritsuko relays this information to the pilots, Unit 04's armor alters further, becoming more demonic in appearance as some of the armor segments shatter, revealing black skin underneath. Sarah stares sadly at Unit 04's pilot as his skin becomes deathly pale, a blood red aura around his body before regretfully closing the communication window to her boyfriend's Eva Unit, unable to watch him any longer. She was grateful it no longer resembled the Evangelion that Patrick used, because it allowed her to fight without holding back, not that it did much to help her or the other Eva Pilots. Patrick had more versatility with his Eva, but Toji had more power, making them about even in terms of skill. Their Evas were also about even in skill as well. Unit 03 had better mobility, speed and power, but Unit 04's greatest benefit was working in tandem with its pilot and the power of his AT Field.

If this was a normal fight, Toji would likely win in a one on one fight, as Patrick tended to not fight seriously against fellow pilots unless asked to. This wasn't a normal fight, however. Varkon's possession of Unit 04 and its pilot, fusing their AT Fields together into a single being, allowed Varkon to tap into Unit 04's latent abilities, unrestrained by the armor, which had already started to break apart. Right now, the armor was still limiting its power from rising any higher…but if they didn't act soon, there would be no hope of victory.

"…We need to get Unit 04 as far as possible from Tokyo-03." Sarah mutters softly, "If we fight him here and accidentally destroy the Eva, the explosion will probably level the city." She read the reports on the previous Angels and knew what Rei did to stop the 16th Angel.

"Yeah…" Kensuke mutters before Unit 05 discards its machine gun and charges its AT Field into his Crimson Angel weapon. "But it's a matter of getting him out of here without leveling the city that will be the problem."

Unit 04's crosses infuse into his AT Field wings, causing them to darken into a black color. "You won't win, you brats." Varkon mutters before stabbing his staff straight into Unit 04's chest, the injury reflected on the pilot as the staff vanishes and also infused into the Evangelion. "Prepare to die."

* * *

"What's going on?" Ritsuko demanded.

"Project 'Lightbringer' has fused with the Eva Limiter Removal Program!" Hyuga reported bleakly, "The restraints on the Evangelion are gone now. Even if the Crimson Angel is purged from the Eva, we won't be able to control it!"

'This is just like what happened to Unit 01 when it fought the 14th Angel…' Ritsuko thought bleakly, 'The restraints are gone…'

* * *

'Mommy?' Tech's eyes widen. 'Impossible! I read this brat's personal file. You died from a disease!'

"I see you have no idea about why I'm here, right?" The woman notes calmly before wrapping her arms around the boy and picking him up. "And you were in charge of installing me into Unit 04…looks like SEELE didn't tell you everything."

'What the fuck are you talking about?'

"The reason Evangelion Units can project an AT Field is because of the human soul inside the Eva." Tech's eyes widen in shock. "The synchronization ratio is dependant on how well the pilot can synchronize with the soul of the mother." She smiles faintly, "In a way, it's similar to how a child rests in the mothers' womb, under her protection."

Patrick hugs the woman tightly with tears running down his face. "I…I felt that…you were still with me…when I saw Unit 04 for the first time…"

She gently kisses him on the cheek. "I'll explain everything later, Patrick." The woman promises before putting him down on the floor and faces Tech, who appears to be very shaken. "Now you know the truth. He never made that choice, I did. If you want to blame someone for him piloting, blame me." She pauses, "Piloting Eva isn't something for glory, but a task for the sake of humanity. Do you still think piloting the Evangelions is all that great?"

Tech averts his eyes, his fists clenched angrily. 'Why…Why did you abandon your own son? Don't even say that it was for the sake of humanity, either!'

"I became ill shortly after Second Impact, an incurable disease…which I believe to be connected that that event, which was caused intentionally by SEELE to stall for time in order to create the Evangelions." She stated calmly, "I was on my deathbed when Nerv came to me and offered me a choice to give my son a chance to pilot Eva and allow my soul to live on in order to protect him. I took the offer."

'That's selfishness!' Tech shouted angrily.

"What SEELE did was much worse than that. They planned to use the Evangelions to manufacture the evolution of humanity into a single being." She stated flatly. "Human foolishness at its greatest." She looks at Patrick's confused and shocked face. "You're wondering how I knew all of this. Popular to contrary belief, the Evangelions can communicate…or rather, the souls inside them can communicate with each other."

Tech looked shaken as he collapses onto his behind as if pushed down, horrified at this information. 'But…'

"You know I'm speaking the truth. Human lips can lie, but the soul cannot." She looks sadly at him. "You regret your actions now, don't you?"

* * *

"Impossible!" Varkon roared as he felt himself lose control of the Evangelion and its pilot. "Tech you bastard!"

Patrick opens his eyes, one blue and the other blood red, and looks around his entry plug before opening communications with the other pilots. "I don't have much time-"

"YOU IDIOT!" Sarah screamed, "Are you TRYING to give us a heart attack?"

"Calm down, Sarah." Toji snapped. "What do you mean, Patrick?"

"I can't keep the Crimson Angel suppressed for very long, so we'll need to act fast." Patrick replied quickly before painfully grabbing onto his head as the Crimson Angel fought to take him and his Eva back. "Sarah, shut the hell up!" The brunette stops screaming and stares at the boy in shock. "We don't have time for your drama!" Unit 04 charges its energy into its wings before flying to the south. "Follow me!" Sarah swears to herself before following after Unit 04 with the other Evangelions also in pursuit.

* * *

Varian glares angrily at the hologram of the situation on the table in the Crimson Angel Meeting Room before standing up. "He'll lose…but I won't." He growls before vanishing.

* * *

Sarah knew exactly why Patrick was fleeing the city and had his fellow pilots come with him. He planned to self-destruct his Evangelion and have them use their AT Fields to suppress the blast as much as possible, just like what she knew would happen. She knew why he'd do it…because he put others before himself, to the point of foolishness at times. 'Damn idiot!'

Unit 04 stops just outside the mostly un-flooded city of Old Tokyo, much of the water receding after the return of Antarctica. Patrick sighs, biting his lip as he stares at the self-destruct switch in his Evangelion with sadness in his eyes. 'Sorry Sarah…but this is the only way…'

'Perhaps if you weren't so inclined on killing yourself, you'd understand there is another way.' His mother's voice echoes in the cockpit, causing his eyes to widen.

"What do you mean?"

'Your AT Field is one of the strongest, yet unstable, of the Eva Pilots. That was partly due to my own actions…but I digress. You can use your AT Field to drive the Crimson Angel out of your body and cut him off from the Eva L.R. Program, which is tied directly into YOUR movements.'

"Wait, you mean as long as I can stay in control of my body, I've practically won?" Patrick asked incredulously.

'Yes…and I know your uncertainty about using your AT Field, but this is our only chance.'

Patrick sighs as the other Evas catch up, surrounding him nervously. "Guys, I'm going to try something. If I screw up, take out the Evangelion." He closes his eyes and focuses on his AT Field. 'Mom…even if I do this, it won't kill the Crimson Angel.'

He hears her chuckles, 'This is MY Evangelion. All I need is some help from you and some time and I can destroy it myself.'

Patrick smiles, now more confident as he cuts his connection with the Crimson Angel, causing a sharp pain to race through his head. 'Shit…Get out of my body…'

'Good luck…and I'm sorry…' Tech's voice mutters softly as the Crimson Angel's presence leaves his body.

"…Yeah…" Patrick mutters as he starts spreading his AT Field beyond his body and into the Eva, causing Varkon to screech in pain as the Crimson Angel was slowly being suppressed.

* * *

Sarah's eyes widen as the vision of Unit 04's self-destruction vanishes only to be replaced by- "PATRICK, GET OUT OF THERE!" She screamed, her Eva running forward to try and stop the inevitable, but she was too late. A long grey spear pierces Unit 04 in the back and straight through the entry plug, causing a loud screech to echo from Varkon as the Eva is caught ablaze.

Time seemed to stop for the girl as she couldn't sense ANYTHING inside Unit 04 except the same presence that an Eva possesses in their Cores. "PATRICK!" She screamed as her Unit discarded her weapons and moved forward to catch the Eva Unit as it began to fall forward. The flames seared her hands but she didn't care…he was gone. Dimly she noticed the other Evas rushing over as well, some of them panicked while others were swearing angrily. Very faintly, she felt someone watching them from a distance and slowly stood up, her Eva miming her action before reaching her hand out, grabbing the spear, and pulling it out of Unit 04, which causes the spear to shift back to its two-pronged state. A Lance of Longinus copy.

She knew exactly who was watching them and she slowly turned towards the ruins of Old Tokyo and saw HIM standing there on the top of a 20 story building with an air of amusement around him. "Oh, sorry about that. I decided to give you a hand in killing Varkon since he failed me. My aims sucks so I accidentally hit the entry plug too. My bad." His voice was filled with false sympathy and amusement as he said this.

Sarah doesn't hear the others shout at her to stop as she charged straight at Varian and slammed the Lance copy straight down at him with both hands, cutting through the building and leveling it with ease. She lets go of the Lance with her left hand and draws her Prog Knife before throwing it towards her left, forcing Varian to put up his AT Field to defend. "Aww, are you angry at me, girl?" Varian taunts, "Life is filled with disappointments, am I right?" He smirks, "He was just SO close to winning and I killed him and the Crimson Angel. Crushing his hope of victory when he was about to succeed was quite enjoyable." The Prog Knife drops to the floor and Varian raises his AT Field on his right side down, blocking Unit 03's axe, Unit 05's punch, and Unit 07's sword. "It's rude in butt into others conversations." He blasts the three Eva Units back with an AT Field shockwave.

"_You're fucking dead."_

* * *

"What's the status of the pilot of Unit 04?" Ritsuko demanded.

Maya closes her eyes sadly. "No life signs detected…"

Hyuga swears angrily at this announcement before his eyes widen. "Doctor Akagi! Unit 06 is going berserk!"

* * *

Varian chuckles, "Going berserk? How amusing."

"SHUT UP!" Sarah screams as she charges straight at Varian, enraged at how he just stood there with that damnable arrogance as he committed crime after crime yet didn't pay for it in the slightest. Before she could get within fifteen meters of the Crimson Angel, a strong gravity field overtook Unit 06 and pinned it to the ground.

"Calm down." A young woman's voice says firmly, a black cloaked and hooded figure standing in the air over Unit 06. "If you attack him recklessly, he'll kill you easily."

Varian chuckles, "Such wise words, Princess." He taunts, raising his right hand and summoning a sword into his hand, which is surrounded by a black aura.

"Go to hell." Loriana snaps angrily, "You have no right to call me that."

He merely laughs again, "Please, you can't do anything to me directly, or the Crimson Angel will kill you for betraying me."

"You're too confident, Varian." Loriana states coldly, "You thought the same thing about Chivalt, but he sided with Sir Eran. How do you know Morlina has not done the same with me?" The silence from the battlefield was deafening. "Pity I can't see your expression under that hood right now, Varian. Are you angry that it's now two of your servants that have betrayed you?"

Varian's voice was cold as he responded, an aura of bloodlust around his cloaked and hooded body, "You're bluffing."

"Care to test that theory? No, I don't think you want to…after all, the first three Children are almost here." Loriana states with amusement, looking to the west. A vague outline of two winged creatures is approaching. "Perhaps you should run with your tail between your legs like the coward you are. You're afraid of them, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" Varian roared. "I fear nothing!"

"Then by all means, stay here." Loriana taunts before a massive energy cross blasts through the center of Tokyo-03 and Unit 01 appears as the energy fades, six diamond-shaped AT Field wings on its back. "I was wondering when you'd show up, Unit 01." She looks back at the Eva, which is surrounded by a purple aura, causing the golden AT Field wings to shift to a purplish color as well before it begins flying towards Old Tokyo. "So Varian, you have about twelve seconds before the Children show up and about seven seconds until Unit 01 gets here. Still want to stay?"

Varian was infuriated before he swore and vanished into thin air moments before Unit 01's fist slams down on the building the Crimson Angel was standing on, causing it to collapse. Seconds later, Unit's 00 and 02 landed next to Unit 01, which deactivated. 'Damn that bastard.' Yui mutters darkly. 'I nearly had him.'

'It's okay Mother. What happened?' Shinji replies softly.

'We lost Unit 04.' Yui stated bleakly, causing Shinji to look at the burned remains of Unit 04, only the charred and torn apart entry plug and Evangelion's S2 Engine/Core were still intact. 'I'm sorry, Shinji. We didn't get here in time to save the pilot.'

"I'm sorry." Loriana stated sadly. "I thought Unit 04's fate was sealed so I did nothing…but by the time I realized he could be saved, I didn't have enough time to act." She continues pinning Unit 06 to the ground. "I apologize…both for hesitating and pinning Unit 06 like this, but until the pilot calms down, I can't let the Eva go berserk."

* * *

Commander Ikari sighs before standing up. "Doctor Akagi, have the retrieval team get Eva Unit 04's S2 Engine…as well as the entry plug." He orders in a flat voice, knowing the U.N. was going to chew him out for not only losing Unit 04, but having Unit 01 break its way out of Terminal Dogma by itself. Before he could move to leave, Loriana appears in the air inside of the Main Command Center and calmly stares at Ikari. "What do you want?" He demanded in a flat voice. "I may be grateful you prevented the loss of another Evangelion, but it doesn't mean you're welcome here, Crimson Angel."

Loriana sighs, "I'm here to offer a truce with SEELE. Varian is too large of a threat for us to be in a three way battle when he comes here with his army." She explains what she told Shinji and Asuka about the Evangelion army that Varian has amassed. "Now that Varkon is dead, he'll send the army straight to Nerv within a day. He's lost every single ally except Darvin, the Elemental Master. He'll be getting desperate at this point."

"I have no desire to side with Keel." Ikari replies coldly.

"He isn't exactly fond of you either, but he understands the necessity of a temporary alliance with you in order to face Varian's forces." Loriana smirks as she removes her hood, her crystal clear blue eyes staring at the Commander of Nerv. "Once Varian's army has fallen, he'll be defenseless and we can take the fight to him."

The silence in the room was overpowering. Finally, Ikari broke the silence. "Order the Eva Units to head back to Nerv and bring Unit 01 back, as well as Unit 04's entry plug and S2 Engine." He moves to leave the room but stops at the door. "Inform Keel that I'll accept the truce if he agrees to follow my orders."

"Very well." Loriana replies with a smile. "Keel thought you might make that condition and has accepted it, as long as the order isn't unreasonable."

Commander Ikari nods curtly. "Very well. Tell Keel I'll accept the truce until Varian is dead." He replies coldly.

"Of course."

* * *

A/N: Yes, we lost Unit 04 and Patrick, but gained Morlina/Loriana and SEELE as temporary allies to fight Varian. How will this situation turn out? You'll find out next time!

Read and Review!


	37. Revelation

A/N: The loss of a fellow pilot can affect the Pilots in two ways. Strengthen their resolve, or cause them to fall into despair. Let's see how Varian is taking this development, shall we?

Sarah grabs the author around the throat and starts to choke him. "You son of a bitch!" She cried out angrily with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Vanpat gasp for air, grabbing onto her arms weakly. "C-Can we talk about this?" He breathed out weakly.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" She screamed angrily before getting knocked out by Varian.

Vanpat sweatdrops, "Um, I never thought I'd be saved by you." Suddenly, a demonic claw grabs him roughly and shakes him around in the air.

"I saved you only so I could kill you myself. You had both Morlina AND SEELE betray me?" He roared angrily. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you here and now!"

"I have a few…" Vanpat mutters, disappearing and reappearing behind Varian. "1. Read the footnote. There'll be any epic two-chapter special battle. 2. I'm the author, so if you kill me, there'll be no story and you'll never appear again. 3. I'm the author. I wrote you into this story and I can write you out of it."

Varian growls as the demonic claw vanishes, "Fine…I'll let it go…for now." He vanishes into thin air.

Vanpat sighs, "That was weird…Anyways, I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion."

* * *

To say the Varian was infuriated would be an understatement. Darvin watched nervously as Varian ripped the Crimson Angel Arena, which is where he tested his personal Evangelion Unit, into debris with a demonic figure looming behind him that mimed his movement and resembled his personal Eva. "Lord Varian, calm do-" Varian glares at Darvin with pure malice, shutting the old man up immediately.

"Morlina has openly betrayed us and now has sided with Ikari. SEELE has done the same thing." Varian growls angrily. "I'm sending the Evangelions down immediately."

"Wait until I put the finishing touch on them, Varian." Darvin replies firmly. "If the modified armor and Lance copies aren't working correctly, the battle will be over before it begins."

"How long will that take?" Varian demanded.

"Twelve hours to do all sixty Eva Units, including your personal one." Darvin states calmly, "Before you protest as to why I didn't do this earlier, I'll point out that doing that many at once would only cause it to last one hour and would completely drain my energy."

Varian growls angrily as the massive demonic figure vanished from behind him. "Fine, get to work."

* * *

Loriana has her hood drawn back as she stares at Keel rather than the SEELE 01 monolith. The other members, however, still use their SEELE monoliths rather than appear personally. "Commander Ikari has agreed to form the truce." She states calmly, "Get your Eva Series ready for combat, because Varian will be sending out his personal army within a day."

"Very well." Keel replies flatly. "Tell Ikari that we'll be sending them to Tokyo-03 and putting them on standby." Loriana nods before disappearing.

* * *

Misato sighs as she stares sadly at Serena, Patrick's cousin. "I'm sorry about this. If we didn't leave then-"

"Don't blame yourself." Serena whispers, tears running down her cheeks. "It isn't anyone's fault except the one who killed him."

Misato frowns, "How's Sarah handling this?" she asks.

Serena closes her eyes, "Better than I thought she would." She hesitated, "Actually, she's been quiet since she got home…let me check up on her." Serena walks over to the doorway and opens it, letting light in Sarah's disorganized room and on her figure, her head resting on her arms as she stares forwards with saddened eyes, not really looking at anything. "Sarah, are you okay?"

She turns her head to face Serena sadly, "What do you think?" She asks in a quiet voice. "If that's all, then close my door and leave me alone." The brunette turns her head back as her guardian closes the door.

"At least she hasn't been screaming and weeping about this." Misato points out, standing a few feet from Serena.

"That's the problem." Serena states bleakly, "Sarah has always been the type of person who…" She pauses, "Well, I can't think of a good way to describe it, but she always acts with her feelings and isn't afraid to show them. She would never be this calm over Patrick's death."

"I see…I'll keep an eye on her in the coming battle, if she's allowed to fight, of course." Misato added quickly.

"It's her choice, but I don't think you should leave her out of this fight." Serena replies, "She'll want to kill Varian herself for what he's done." Her voice is serious, "Don't let her be the person who kills him though, and don't let her take him on herself. Revenge is a horrible thing…and it will only leave you hollow and empty inside when it's over."

Misato frowns slightly, "Yeah, I know about that." She admitted before walking to the door and opening it. "Again, I'm sorry about this, Serena. There's really nothing I can say or do that can undo what happened. We never should have taken that vacation…"

"Just leave, Misato…" Serena states quietly.

She nods sadly before leaving the apartment and closing the door before walking away. After taking a few steps, she hears the sounds of weeping, causing her to pound her fist against the guardrail angrily. 'Damnit…I'm not letting those bastards get away with toying with us like this.' She growls to herself.

* * *

"Well, here is the data on their Evangelion Units." Loriana passes a CD case to one of the guards next to her. Ikari nods and the guard hands it to the man. "I've had SEELE use a similar design for their Evangelion, as to make them more combat efficient."

"How many are ready for battle?" Ikari asks calmly as he inserts the CD into a laptop, which automatically uploads the designs and specifications of Varian's Eva Series.

"SEELE has 23 fully ready for battle." Loriana sighs, "I WISH we had more time, but Varian will be getting very desperate at this point." She stares at the guards at either side of her, guns currently drawn, with amusement. "Commander Ikari, you DO know that these two couldn't stop me, right?"

Commander Ikari glares at the Crimson Angel. "That may be true, but the U.N. wouldn't be pleased if I let a Crimson Angel roam around the base unwatched."

She smirks, "How are they taking this, by the way?" Her voice was slightly amused.

"They'll be contacting me shortly, and I don't want your presence when I speak with Ravian." Ikari states coldly.

"Is that his name? How interesting…May I stick around in the shadows and observe him?" Loriana asks with an impish voice, causing Ikari's eyes to narrow dangerously. "Don't worry Ikari. I just want to see the person to confirm my own suspicions about the Secretary-General. I know you have your own suspicions about him yourself and I may be able to clear them up."

A beeping sound was heard from Ikari's desk and he nods curtly. "Very well, but you'd best have a way to remain hidden."

She smirks and nods as a faintly purple aura around her body before she vanishes. "I prepared this to hide from Varian himself." She whispers softly, staring at the lowering screen. "Let's see if it works, shall we?"

The screen pops to life to reveal Charles Ravian, whose expression was more than a little annoyed. "Ikari, my agents who have been keeping an eye on your actions in Nerv have informed me that you not only LOST Unit 04 and its pilot, but Unit 01 acted out of your control, EVEN with the armor on and broke out of Nerv HQ and through the center of Tokyo-03. The U.N. is furious about these events, Ikari."

'Well, well, well…' Loriana thinks to herself smugly. 'It seems I was right…but I think I'll see how Ikari handles this first.'

"If you remember correctly, the matter of Unit 01 was settled one month ago, despite your protests against it. I merely kept it in Terminal Dogma to keep your complaints to a minimum and even promised to not use it unless I deem it necessary." Ikari remarked coldly.

"That ISN'T the point, Ikari!" Ravian snapped, his usual smug and confident expression gone. "That THING is suppose to be under YOUR control! What if it didn't decide to stop at just trying to kill Varian and went after the other Evangelions?"

"That 'thing' has the soul of a human being, which would not attack the others without reason." Ikari glared at Ravian. "As for the events of Unit 04, it was sadly unavoidable. If you want to blame someone, blame Varian for the loss."

Ravian looked furious but he recovered. "Very well, but it doesn't change that both events happened under YOUR command." He glares at the Commander of Nerv. "At first, the U.N. believed you would be satisfactory for this job, but-"

"Did the U.N. believe that, or was that your own opinion?" Ikari cuts him off, causing the man's eyes to narrow.

"Watch your step, Ikari. I could easy have you replaced." The Secretary-General of the U.N. retorts angrily.

"Not without the approval of the other members, you can't." Ikari states in a monotone voice. "You seem to be out of sorts today Ravian. Is something wrong?"

He glares at Ikari. "I've heard rumors of you siding with SEELE and a Crimson Angel." He pointed out with a smirk. "I pray those are merely rumors, because if it turns out true, then I won't have to do anything but watch as you're demoted."

At this point, Ikari had just about enough of Ravian's remarks and being a pawn of the U.N. "And what if I have? All the U.N. is at this point is the source of my funding, and this war will soon be over." Ravian's face darkens, "Doctor Akagi, with the help of a Crimson Angel, have reverse-traced the signal to where Cybornac transferred the data from the Magi to, which is the location of the Crimson Angel's Base of Operations."

The room was deathly quiet and Loriana's expression was ecstatic. "Is that a fact, Ikari?" Ravian asked in a tightly controlled voice. "Where is this supposed base?"

"The Moon." Ikari states simply, causing Ravian's eyes to widen in shock. "I suppose it make some sense. After all, according to the information I received from SEELE, that's the only logical conclusion."

"And how do you plan to go up to the Moon exactly?" Ravian demanded flatly.

"We'll train the Evangelion Pilots until each of them can use the AT Field wings, which also creates a protective aura around them that will allow space travel." Ikari replies calmly. "Any issues with that?"

Ravian bites his lower lips, obviously very nervous and angry at the same time. "None that I can see." He grates out between clenched teeth. "But this is a matter for the U.N. to decide."

Ikari smiles faintly at him, much to his ire. "In that case, that will be all." He cuts off communications on his end with a smirk on his face.

"His expression was priceless." Loriana laughs softly as the invisibility around her disappears, "Nice job, Ikari."

Commander Ikari's expression becomes serious. "So, did you confirm what you needed to, Loriana?"

She smirks. "That's right, Ikari. You were right to question the Secretary-General." Loriana chuckles, "Looks like my invisibility worked on Varian himself, huh?"

Fuyutsuki's eyes widen but Ikari's narrows. "W-What? The Secretary-General is Varian himself?" The old man demanded incredulously.

"That's right, professor." Ikari states calmly. "It also explains his actions. His reasons for keeping Unit 01 in Terminal Dogma was not to protect it, but because Varian feared the Evangelion Unit." His eyes narrow further. "He has also been against my decisions and actions since the beginning, and even though he likely knew of the pilots' vacation, he said nothing to the U.N., just so he could get those he fears away from the battlefield."

Loriana nods, "His naming is horrid, by the way. All he did was flip the 'Var' in his name…and his personal record was too perfect, right?" Ikari nods. "Nice job with your jabs at the bastard. He'll likely be infuriated at these events, so much so that he won't consider a smart tactic by using the U.N. to give us trouble and send the Evas afterwards. He'll send them as soon as possible…which I think will be around tomorrow morning."

"Very well."

Loriana is about to leave before she stares curiously at Ikari. "You do know that this city will be a ruin when we engage Varian, right? You should start the evacuation of Tokyo-03 as soon as possible." She frowns, "No matter which side wins the battle, the U.N. will be infuriated with you for having a truce with SEELE and a Crimson Angel without their approval."

"I'll inform them that Ravian, a Crimson Angel, is currently in charge of the U.N." Ikari states coldly. "Perhaps they'll understand my reasons then."

"You'll need evidence of that." Loriana pointed out. "They won't believe you."

"Simple, Varian would likely observe the battle himself rather than from his base, correct?" Loriana nods, "We'll unmask him while in battle and have evidence of it."

Loriana smirks, "Good luck with that. I'll be back with SEELE's Eva Series." She sighs, "Outnumbered two to one is NOT the best odds though…" The Crimson Angel vanishes.

* * *

No one took the loss of the Fifth Child well. Hikari even cried about losing a fellow pilot, but Sarah just had that blank expression. It unnerved some of the Pilots and they tried to talk with her, but she told them to leave her alone. The way she acted about the situation was almost how Rei would act about it, with a calm outlook and untroubled by emotions.

Misato sighs, staring at the sync scores with uneasiness. "They're all down at least three points...and Sarah is thirteen points below her average."

Ritsuko nods bleakly, check the time before sighing. "Okay everyone. It's early, but Ikari thinks that the enemy will come at dawn, so you'll need to go to bed earlier in order to be awake tomorrow at 6:00 AM."

"So, what's our chance of victory this time, Ritsuko?" Misato asked calmly as she sipped on some coffee.

Doctor Akagi sighed, "You don't want to know. It's not very high at all."

"Any remains of the Fifth Child?"

Ritsuko flinched slightly and hesitated before answering. "None."

Misato wasn't an idiot, however. She bent down next to Ritsuko and whispered angrily into her ear. "That's a lie. What did you recover from the entry plug, Ritsuko?"

She sighs and stands up. "I'll show you. Follow me." Doctor Akagi walks to the doorway on the right side of the control booth with Misato right behind her.

* * *

"Ready to head out?" Loriana asked the Mass-Produced Evangelion Series that SEELE controlled. Their armor design was greatly modified from the previous version. They still retained their white coloring and wings, but they now had light blue armor now and their heads resembled a cross between Unit 01 and Chivalt's head. On their face, however, was a cross-shaped visor that covered its eyes, stopping at the mouth.

"Tell Ikari to call his spy off first." Keel's voice enters the Eva Hanger, which had the Evangelion Units situated in a nice row on either side. Near the end of the Hanger were seven incomplete Evangelion Units.

Loriana sighs. "Keel, we don't have time to worry about that. I'll erase the guy's short term memories of your base location if I must."

"That is acceptable." Keel replies calmly before the eyes of the Eva Units glow red. As soon as the eyes glow, they stand up and activate their wings, which have a Lance copy strapped to their backs. "They'll obey Ikari's orders until the battle is over, in which we'll be in charge again."

"Not a problem." Loriana shrugs it off as the large hanger door opens above the Evas and Loriana, letting in a howling blizzard. "Odd weather for summer in the Alps…It'll take time until the weather fully stabilizes."

"Perhaps…but this will prevent Nerv's spy from noticing us." Keel notes calmly as the Evangelions take flight.

"How long will it take for them to get to Nerv?" Loriana asked curiously.

"Eight hours."

* * *

Misato's eyes narrowed as Ritsuko brought her to the remains of the Dummy Plug System. "Ritsuko, why are we down here?" She finally demanded.

Ritsuko sighs, "You wanted to see what we found, right?" She walks over to the command console and activated the lights that illuminated the tube in the center, causing Misato to gasp in shock. The body looked heavy deformed, but almost seemed to be slowly regenerating. His hair was grey and his skin pale, appearing more like an adult now. His eyes, now purple in color, appeared to be dead.

"W-What the hell?" Misato glared at Doctor Akagi. "What is this?"

"This is the Fifth Child…or at least, what remains of him." Ritsuko replies bleakly. "As of now, there is no soul inside that body."

"What do you mean? And what's with that appearance?"

Ritsuko sighs, "This situation is similar to what happened to Rei against the 16th Angel. We found Rei, which was deformed greatly and appeared very different, in the remains of Unit 00's Entry Plug." She stares calmly at Patrick's body. "We moved Rei's soul, her S2 Core, into another copy of Rei. She had that chance, unlike Patrick here."

"What's going to happen to him?" Misato asked darkly.

"I don't know. His soul wasn't inside his body, but I do have a theory." Ritsuko replies bleakly. "According to the Magi's recording, half a second before the Lance copy that Varian used pierced the Eva's Entry Plug, Patrick's life signs flat lined."

"Wait…is it possible that his soul was pulled into the Eva itself?" Misato asked incredulously.

"Something similar happened with Shinji, so it may be possible." Doctor Akagi stated calmly. "While Shinji lost his physical form, Patrick's soul was forcefully torn out of his body. It'll be easier to restore his body, but he has to be willing…and we'll need to fully repair his Eva Unit as well."

"We don't have enough time to do that, though." Misato points out flatly. "The war will probably be over by then."

"The point is that he CAN be restored, despite his body's current state." Ritsuko frowns, "You asked why his appearance was different, right?" Misato nods so Doctor Akagi continues. "His body has Crimson Angel DNA inside it now, which altered his appearance greatly. The same happened to Rei's appearance with the 16th Angel, which is why we moved her soul to another body. The body that Rei had was destroyed, as we were unsure what would happen if we left it alone."

"Will the DNA have any affects on him?"

"Yes. Varkon, the Thirteenth Crimson Angel, has the ability to take over other's bodies. Eventually, his DNA will completely overtake Patrick's and the Crimson Angel will be reborn into his true form." Ritsuko states flatly. "I've put him in cryostasis, but he won't last any longer than two months before we have no choice but to kill him."

Misato sighs, "No wonder you didn't say anything earlier about this…" She stares at the body. "Why did you leave his body alive then? There's no point to keeping him alive like this if he'll eventually die."

"We need all the help we can get." Ritsuko states bleakly. "He'll be good for one battle and that's it…that's why we'll keep him alive until the final confrontation."

Misato glares angrily at Doctor Akagi. "You're telling me you just kept the Fifth Child alive just for the sake of fighting the enemy and that's it? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Ritsuko shakes her head. "I don't like this either, but we'll need all the help we can get against Sammael."

Misato looked baffled, "Who the hell is that?"

"Commander Ikari found the name of Varian's Master in the documents about these events." Ritsuko replied bleakly. "I doubt he'll approve of me telling you this but that's his problem. I'll start at the beginning…"

* * *

Nothingness was around the brunette, her hair no longer tied into her usual ponytail but instead spread out around her head. Her eyes were blank, as if not paying attention to the world around her, which was the room provided by Nerv. A shadow appeared in the corner of the room, but the girl didn't care. "Are you done acting like a child?" A woman's voice asked flatly, catching Sarah's attention.

"Get the hell out of my room, Crimson Angel." Sarah retorts flatly, turning to face the opposite wall.

"I'm not going anywhere until you get your act together." Loriana states in a firm voice. "It's bad enough everyone's morale is down because we lost a pilot, but we don't need you getting all depressed about it. Everyone is sad about this and bottling it up won't help you in any way."

"I'm killing Varian." Sarah growls, "I want NO help when I fight him."

Loriana glares at the girl. "Don't screw around. You can't win against him by yourself. If I let you fight him back then, you'd be dead. Would your boyfriend enjoy the fact you threw your life away?"

Sarah jumped to her feet and had her arm stopped before her fist could reach Loriana. "Shut the fuck up. What do you understand?"

"I loved Chivalt…Sir Eran, as much as you loved Patrick. So I DO understand, you idiot." Loriana snapped before slapping the pilot in the face with her free hand. "Are you done acting like a child? If you want to make him proud of you, don't throw your life away."

Sarah glares at the Crimson Angel before, finally, she lets out all of her feelings and begins to sob uncontrollably, and clinging to Loriana like a child would cling to her mother. Sarah hated herself for clinging to a Crimson Angel, but she couldn't stop herself. Loriana awkwardly began to speaking to her in a soothing voice, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, the door shot open and Asuka rushed into the room. Before she could expect the worst, Loriana spoke to her. "Can you comfort her? I'm not really good at this sort of thing."

Asuka glares at the Crimson Angel before gently pulling on Sarah's arm, getting her attention and causing the brunette to change targets. She'd rather weep in front of Asuka than in front of a Crimson Angel. "Shh, it's okay…" Asuka whispered gently.

"Thank you…" Loriana nods at Asuka. "…She'll be okay after she gets all the feelings she's bottled up out of her system…I'm sorry that you have to do it, but I don't know the first thing about being a mother." She whispers sadly before vanishing.

* * *

The evacuation of Tokyo-03 was almost complete when 23 winged knight-like Evangelion Units landed near the edge of the city around 4:26 AM. Commander Ikari frowns from the command booth in the Main Command Center. "I don't like the idea of having SEELE this close…" He muttered darkly. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki was standing on his right while Loriana, now dressed in a long white dress than suited medieval royalty, stood on his left. "Are you certain SEELE can be trusted?"

Loriana nods, shifting her silver tiara on her head. "They hate Varian and know that the only way to beat his army is with your help."

"May I ask why you are wearing that dress?" Fuyutsuki asks curiously after noticing the looks the other personnel in Nerv were giving her.

"It's a reminder of who I am and what I'm fighting for…" Loriana replies sadly. "When the battle begins, I won't be using this dress to fight in." She shakes her head, "How much time until sunrise?"

"One hour and thirty-seven minutes." Ikari replied calmly.

* * *

"Well, the Crimson Angel has quite the fashion statement, huh?" Misato noted as she sipped on some coffee. Ritsuko stares at her in amazement. "What?"

"You're actually drinking coffee rather than beer to wake yourself up?" Ritsuko looked amused. "It's the end of the world."

"Oh, ha ha." Misato scowls at Doctor Akagi. "Right now, I need to be at the top of my game." She pointed out flatly. "I can't afford to get drunk today…things will be tense."

Ritsuko nods, "Agreed." She glances at the clock and frowns, "I think it's time to wake the children up."

Misato sighs and nods, "This won't be one of our better days, huh?" She walks out of the room before waiting for a response from Ritsuko.

* * *

The children ate in silence, much to Misato's annoyance. "Hey, I know this will be a major battle, but it doesn't mean you need to act all gloom and doom."

Hikari sighs sadly, "We lost a friend. How can we not be sad about it?"

Toji and Kensuke nod in agreement. Sarah remains silent, as does Rei and Shinji. Asuka, however, was not in the mood for this either. "Okay, none of us are dying out there. We'll kick Varian's ass, along with his cheap Eva Series."

"Asuka…" Kensuke muttered, "We just lost a pilot and are you not even affected by it?"

"Of course I'm sad, but I'm not letting myself lose to it." Asuka snapped. "I can be sad after I stab my Prog Sword up his-"

"We get it." Shinji cuts her off, not desiring to hear Asuka finish her statement. "Everyone…let's promise not to die out there…promise each other that we'll stay alive no matter what and we will win." He puts his right hand over the table. No one makes a move to join his hand but, just as he withdraws it, Asuka's hand covers his.

"I agree. Let's kick ass out there." She smirks.

Rei places her hand on top of Asuka's. "I also agree with Shinji. We must not hesitate in this fight. We will win and survive."

The other children follow suite until Sarah is left. She smiles and places her hand on top of Hikari's. "Yeah…let's take them out. Shinji, Asuka…you two are the best Evangelion Pilots we have…that's why I want you to be the ones to face Varian himself." Misato looked surprised but recovered at that. "I'm not strong enough to fight him…so I'll fight the Evas that bastard brings."

"No. We'll fight him together." Asuka snapped. "Every one of us will fight him together after we turn his Eva Series into a scrap pile."

Sarah smiles and nods. "Okay."

* * *

Maya's eyes were wide as the sync scores of the pilots came in when they entered their Eva Units. "Doctor Akagi, Major Katsuragi…Look at these scores!" They rushed over to the computer terminal and their eyes widen.

Rei: 100

Asuka: 100

Shinji: 100

Toji: 97

Kensuke: 94

Sarah: 93

Hikari: 95

"What the hell?" Ritsuko demanded. "Everyone's syncs raised this high in a day?"

Misato chuckles, "I guess that confidence boost from Asuka and Shinji helped a great deal, huh?" She stares up at Commander Ikari. "Won't the U.N. have a fit for using Unit 01 after it went berserk yesterday?"

"I doubt they'll care compared to allying myself to both SEELE and a Crimson Angel." Ikari states coldly. "Either way, I'm likely going to be demoted after this so it doesn't matter what I do."

Misato smirks before looking away and at a visual of Tokyo-03 from the air as their seven Evangelion Units reach the surface and grabs their weapon from the weapons cache. Shinji went with Chivalt's sword, Rei went with a positron sniper rifle, and Asuka chose a Heavy Prog Sword. Toji wielded Revalt's axe, Kensuke went with his Crimson Angel weapon, which was strapped to his arms, and a machine gun. Sarah held a copy of Unit 04's staff, made just in case the first one was destroyed. Hikari had a Prog Spear and her right hand while she had her left held her Eva-Sized Shield.

The Eva Series Units commands were transferred to Commander Ikari from SEELE. Keel's face appeared on the main screen. "Ikari, don't screw this up." He stated in a firm voice. "This is an all or nothing gambit by fighting Varian head-on…we're counting on you." He cuts off communications. Ikari frowns, surprised to hear those last words coming from the leader of SEELE.

"Sir! The Magi have detected sixty S2 Engines approaching from the north!" Hyuga shouted, catching everyone's attention as the alarms begin to sound. "They'll be in visual range within one minute and seven seconds!"

Misato opens communications with the Pilot. "Everyone, they're coming from the northern side. Get into position."

Loriana frowns slightly. "Just sixty? That's odd…why didn't Varian send his personal Evangelion down too?"

The Eva Series lines up at the edge of the city and, in unison, pulls the Lance copies from their backs and stabs them into the ground with a flourish. "Impressive…" Sarah mutters before focusing on her surroundings. Her eyes widen as she senses Varian nearby. "Varian's close by!" She shouted into the communication system.

Loriana's eyes widen before closing her own eyes as the Evangelion Series Varian made slowly approaches. "…She's right. He came personally but he managed to cloak his Evangelion from detection…clever bastard."

The Eva's, while similar in design to SEELE's new Eva Series, were easily distinguishable from them. Their coloring was black with red armor, the opposite of SEELE's Eva coloring. A large Evangelion, bigger than the other Mass Produced Evangelions and taller than Chivalt flies down on bat-like wings. It has a large, armored and spiked tail. Its hands and feet resembled claws and there was a blood red orb in the center of its armored chest. Frankly, it looked a demon rather than an Eva. Suddenly, and image of the inside of the entry plug appeared with Varian's unhooded figure appearing in the cockpit, causing many in the command center to swear in shock or amazement.

His appearance was in his late teens and he almost resembled an older version of Kaworu, the 17th Angel. The thing that truly shocked them was that he also appeared very similar to Ravian, the Secretary-General of the U.N. "Hello, Ikari." Varian states with a smirk, wearing a plug suit similar to Kaworu's old one but black and red in coloration. "Surprised to find out who I truly am?" He chuckles as he form shifts to Ravian, twenty-five years in age before the form shifts back.

"Hardly." Ikari states coldly before opening communications with the pilots. "Engage the targets and don't show them any mercy."

"Yes sir!"

"Ah, Princess…" Varian smirks evilly at Loriana, who merely glares with hatred at the leader of the Crimson Angel. "Wasn't that the same dress that I ripped off of you before-" Loriana glances at the controls and creates an electromagnetic disturbance that cuts off the connection with Varian.

"I'm heading out." She growled before vanishing and reappearing floating next to Unit 01, her staff appearing in her hands before she waves it, and electromagnetic field standing between the two sides. "My ability is manipulation of gravitational and magnetic fields." She states calmly, her dress vanishing and revealing dark purple skin-tight shorts and a top, allowing her to move freely without any restraint. "Let's go!" She shouted as the field vanishes and both sides charged at each other.

The battle had begun.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I'm evil enough to do the cliffhanger of doom, but trust me. The next two chapters will be action packed, so it'll be worth the wait. It'll be a two-part special that I'll release at once. See you next time!

Read and Review!


	38. The Battle of Tokyo 03

A/N: At last, open war has begun in Tokyo-03. It's time to rip Varian and his Evangelion Series to pieces.

"Yeah, let's turn those guys into scrap metal!" Kensuke cheered.

"My Crimson Angel weapon will wipe more out than you guys." Toji states with a smirk.

"Want to bet on that, stooge?" Asuka taunts.

"Yeah, just because you have a powerful weapon doesn't mean it'll be useful. The Eva Series can't use AT Fields." Sarah pointed out blandly.

"Aw, man!" Toji complains.

Vanpat coughs loudly, "Ehem, can we cut the chitchat and get to the battle now?"

Shinji chuckles, "Whose turn is it to read the Disclaimer?" He asks curiously. "I lost track."

Vanpat frowns. "Let's see…Shinji, Asuka, Patrick, Rei, Me…Oi, Toji! Front and center! It's your turn."

Toji sighs and faces the audience. "The author doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion." Hikari smiles and hugs him tightly, causing him to blush. "Err, Hikari…this isn't the time…"

"The author told me I should hug you if you did a good job." Hikari muttered; her own face red from embarrassment.

Vanpat chuckles before he pulls out a remote and changes the scene to the main storyline. "Begin!"

* * *

Darvin mutters a few swear words as he stands on the platform meant to control the Evangelion Series Varian created and puts on a helmet, connecting his mind to the movements the every Mass Produced Evangelion. 'They may be under the control of the Dummy Plug System Varian has created, but this will help me join in the fight by transferring my power to the Evas.'

* * *

Rei fires a fully charged positron shot straight at Varian's personal Eva, Unit-S01, which swings its arm and deflects the blast into one of his own Units' head, but it continues to fight one of the Eva Units sent by SEELE. Varian's Eva holds out its hands and a pillar of pure darkness erupts from the ground and forms a sword in his hands, black with red trim and has an aura of pure darkness around both the sword and the Eva.

Before the other Evas from Nerv could attempt to attack, Unit-S01 jumps back to avoid an electromagnetic field contained in the form of a slash. "…I'll deal with him until you slay his Eva Series." Loriana states firmly as her body glows with a purple light. "Varian, it's time you faced someone equal to you in terms of power. A true symbiotic relationship between Crimson Angel and Human."

"Oh?" Varian sounded a bit nervous though as the aura expanded into Loriana's Crimson Angel form. She was now half the size of Unit 01 with pure white angelic wings on her back and a lavender dress on that allowed total freedom of movement. Her hair and eyes were now a deep shade of purple. A purple aura still surrounded her body.

"Perfect Angelic Form." Loriana states calmly before vanishing and reappearing next to Varian's Eva and touching its chest plate. "Let's go!" She roars in a slightly demonic voice before both of them are surrounded by a dark purple sphere. The sphere, along with Loriana and Unit-S01, vanishes into thin air.

* * *

"What the hell?" Misato demanded, looking at Hyuga for an explanation.

Hyuga frowns, looking at a small screen of a sphere appearing in Old Tokyo before it fades away, both Loriana and Unit-S01 flies away in opposite directions to distance themselves from each other. "It seems she just teleported herself and Varian's Eva Unit outside Old Tokyo and have begun fighting."

"I see…" Misato frowns before looking at the fight the children are engaged in.

* * *

Unit 00 fires another positron rifle shot that pierces through one of the enemy Eva's S2 Engines, knocking it offline. Three of them rush at her Eva and she is forced to abandon her sniping position and her rifle, barely jumping back in time to evade the slashes of the Lance copies they wield, which destroy her rifle. Rei's eyes narrow as she draws her Prog Knife and deflects a fourth Lance copy slashing down on her left with an AT Field-charged slash, knocking the enemy Eva back and onto one of SEELE's Eva Series Lance copies, which goes through its S2 Engine.

Rei blinks with surprise before two of the Eva Series Units with SEELE throw their Lance copies through two of three of Varian's Eva Series and pinning them to the ground. Rei dashes forward and deflects an incoming stab from Varian's Eva Series Unit and thrusts her Prog Knife into its S2 Engine before ripping her Knife through its armor as she charges to the downed Evangelions and stabs one of them in the chest and taking out its S2 Engine. Rei was very grateful that her fellow pilots were shown the designs that Varian's Eva Series had so they knew the weak spots in the armor.

The remaining Eva Series Unit takes SEELE's Lance copy out of its chest and throws it away before slamming its Lance copy at Unit 00. Rei reflexively swings her Prog Knife to deflect it, but loses her grip on the weapon. A Fifth Eva Series Unit made by Varian flies down from the air at Rei while the Eva Unit that just attacked prepared to slam the Lance it held into her left side. Rei didn't even think of what she was doing consciously as her Eva grabbed the Lance copy SEELE made and stabs it into the ground to block the attack made by the Eva Series Unit before she used it to vault into the air and deflect the other Eva Series Units' attack. Unit 00 charges her AT Field into the Lance copy and swings it in an arc at the two Eva Series Units, cutting through their S2 Engines with ease.

She breathed deeply from the exertion before grabbing the second Lance copy from SEELE's Eva Series and throws it back to the Eva that threw it, which uses it to block two incoming Lance slashes. Rei notices the other Eva that through the Lance copy was destroyed so she decided to assist the remaining one. She also noticed that SEELE took out the program that rejects anyone except their Evas from using the Lance copies, so that was a bonus. The Eva Series Unit that assisted her earlier assists the one that threw the Lance copy at Varian's Eva, stabbing one of Varian's Evas in the chest while the other kicks that same one away and into a building.

Unit 00 watches as the one who kicked Varian's Eva away is stabbed in the chest and is taken offline by the second of Varian's MP Eva. The other SEELE Eva takes the fallen Lance copy from its ally and stabs it into Varian's other MP Eva Unit, taking it offline.

* * *

Unit 01 is in the center of the fray along with Unit 02, taking down multiple Evas in tandem. Unit 01 charges his AT Field into Chivalt's sword before swings it to his right just as Unit 02 jumps up, above the energy slash that cuts four of the Mass Produced Evas to pieces. Asuka smirks as her Evangelion flips in the air, charging her AT Field into her Heavy Prog Sword before swinging it in a circle around herself just after landing. Three of the seven enemy Evangelion Units are destroyed by the sheer power while the other four manage to block the attack from killing them with their Lance copies, but are sent flying away.

Shinji deflects an incoming Lance stab into one of the Evangelions that Asuka sent flying before kicking the Lance copy wielding MP Eva under Varian's control back with an AT Field infused kick, knocking both of them into the weapons cache. Three of SEELE's Eva Series Units fly down at the fallen Evas under Varian's control and rip them apart. "Shinji!" Asuka shouted as two diamond-shaped AT Field wings grow on her Evangelion's back as she flies up into the air and infuses a great deal of her Eva's AT Field into her sword blade. Unit 01 seems to nod as Shinji focuses his Eva's AT Field around the body and braces from impact.

Asuka smirks and shoots down at the ground and stabs her AT Field infused sword into it. The eight approaching MP Evas under Varian's control and two of the three nearby Eva's created by SEELE are blasted by a massive shockwave that tears them apart, destroying their S2 Engines. Shinji whistles softly, his Eva's AT Field was just barely enough to block the force of the attack. "Asuka, what was that move?"

"I call it an AT Field Shockwave." She replies smugly before sweat dropping at the sheer destruction she caused. A twenty-five meter radius around her was reduced to rubble, except the protected Unit 01. "Uh oh…Misato's going to be ticked about that."

* * *

Toji worked together with Hikari quite well, the former a bit annoyed that his weapon's ability would be next to useless considering Varian's Eva Series couldn't use AT Fields. Hikari acted as Toji's shield when he was open to attack and retaliated when the enemy couldn't block her counterattack. Despite her much higher than normal sync ratio, she avoided combat and focused on protecting Toji, who sometimes took risky gambles in attacks. They weren't as great of a team as Asuka and Shinji were, but they were close.

Toji swung his axe and deflected an incoming stab while Unit 07 stood back to back with him, blocking a thrown Lance copy with her shield while parrying a second Lance copy slash at her by one of Varian's Eva Units. She noticed as she observed the battle that at least ten of SEELE's Evangelions were still intact while nine were out of action. The other four she didn't know though. She counted the number of Varian's left in the battle, but had a difficult time as she was keeping track of her own side rather than the enemy. 'Seventeen down…at least.' She notes mentally before throwing her Prog Spear into the Eva in front of her, taking it down. 'Make that eighteen…and-' her thought broke off as she drew her Prog Knife and barely managed to stop a Lance copy from slashing into her head. 'I can't concentrate…at least twenty are left, probably a lot more though.'

Toji swears as he gets stabbed in the shoulder by a Lance copy before he kicks the attacker with a kick in its side, sending it flying into a building before he rips the Lance copy out of his shoulder. 'This is bad- wait, I have an idea!' He opens his communication window with Unit 05, "Hey Kensuke, can you send the power of your Crimson Angel weapon at me?"

Kensuke blinks, his Eva ducking under a slash made by an enemy Eva before tripping him and firing a round of bullets into Varian's Eva Series Unit, taking it out. "I'm trying to save that for Varian!" He shouted as he jumps up and lands on three Lances copies that were stabbed where he was just standing. The weight of the Evangelion Unit drives them into the ground as he draws his Prog Knife, unconsciously infusing his Eva Unit's AT Field into the blade and slashing it at the three of them, two of which are knocked offline while the third is merely damaged slightly. Unit 05 fires his machine gun at the exposed S2 Engine, destroying the enemy Unit.

"I want to use my Crimson Angel weapon and wipe all of theses guys out at once." Toji replied as his Eva glows with a golden aura before two AT Field wings grow out of his back. The Eva takes flight into the sky and channels its AT Field into the weapon. Kensuke sighs and aims his left arm at the floating Eva before infusing his AT Field into the weapon and firing multiple white energy blasts at Unit 03, which absorbs all of them as the gauge fills up completely. "Hikari, get out of the way!"

Hikari's eyes widen before she shifts her shield and spear in front of her before charging through the enemy Eva Series Units in her path. Toji nods as soon as Hikari is out of range and slams his axe downward, firing a massive golden Anti-AT Field sphere at where he and Hikari were standing earlier. The attack rips through fifteen of Varian's MP Eva Units, as well as six of SEELE's Eva Units. It also creates a large hole that goes through thirteen armor layers.

Toji sighs, realizing he'll be chewed out by Commander Ikari later for ripping through half of the Geofront's armor layers.

* * *

Unit 06 unconsciously charges its AT Field into the staff it wields before slamming it into one of Varian's Eva Units, blasting it away from her before Sarah blocks two Lance copies from above. She wastes no time in pulling back, jumping to the right, and slamming her staff into the two Eva Units. That sends them flying forwards and into an approaching Eva Series Unit under Varian's control. She frowns slightly, 'I keep getting a weird feeling from those things after taking one down…'

She moves her head to the side and grabs the Lance copy that almost stabbed into her head before throwing Varian's Eva over her shoulder by the Lance copy and into the ground. Sarah winces before letting go of the Lance copy and stabbing her staff into the S2 Engine. 'Varian's Lance copies won't let us use them, huh?' She closes her eyes before jumping over three Lance thrusts directed at her, flipping behind one of Varian's Eva Units before slamming her staff straight through the enemy Eva and destroying its S2 Engine.

She briefly glances around and notices that they were at least halfway done with these guys…but even if they managed to take out this army, the Pilots still had to face Varian and his personal Evangelion Unit. This meant they had to save their energy for him, because he was on a completely different level than this army.

* * *

Misato stared in amazement at the scores in front of her. EVERYONE had a perfect sync of 100 or higher. "This is amazing…" she mutters softly.

"Amazing or not, this city will be in ruins at the rate they're going." Ritsuko pointed out flatly. She glances at the visual of the fight between Varian and Loriana before smirking. "Well, Varian's occupied at the moment, so we won't need to worry about him until the Eva Series he made is destroyed."

* * *

Loriana smirks as she creates multiple gravity fields around Varian's Eva Unit in order to slow his movements. Unit-S01 opens its arms and two energy beam cannons come out before firing two massive blasts. She just waves her staff and creates a sphere in front of the oncoming attack and two by her side, which redirects the attack away to the spheres on her sides. "I can make gravity fields that are weaker than Earth gravity, causing the beams to follow my stronger gravity fields." She chuckles, "You can't beat me in a battle of speed, Varian."

"Silence, traitor!" Varian roars as Unit-S01's armor plates open and missiles fire out at Loriana, who just sighs and creates a high density gravity field around the approaching attack, crushing the rockets and causing them to explode.

"You're wasting my time. Get serious." Loriana taunts as she creates and electromagnetic field around Varian's Evangelion, disabling its movements. "This isn't even a challenge…is that really all there is to your power?"

Varian growls before the one of the three sixes on his right hand glows with a blood red color. Morlina's eyes widen as the Evangelion's armor shatters into pieces, revealing demonic armor underneath. Its claws and spikes on the body grow larger as the Eva grows in size, now surrounded by a blood red aura and six black demon wings on its back. The Eva was now nearly twice the size of Unit 01.

"You know…that just makes you a bigger target. Are you sure that massive size is just to distract everyone from your own small-" Loriana cuts off her statement and vanishes, evading Unit-S01's sword slash and reappearing between Unit-S01's legs before blasting it away with an Anti-AT Field, causing the pilot to writhe in pain as his Eva twitches in a crater on a nearby mountain. "Well, I don't need to point out how you couldn't get any woman to have sex with you, short of raping her, right?"

Varian snarls, enraged at her pointing that out. "Screw you!" He roars before Unit-S01 rises to its feet and charges straight at Loriana. She smirks as his sword is swung towards her but merely creates a massive gravity field straight under her, causing the attack to be redirected into the field.

"You wish." Loriana taunts before disappearing and reappearing next to Unit-S01's head before she slams her AT Field-charged staff into his head, causing the Eva to be sent spinning into the air before falling flat on his face. "You're just a monster that no one could ever have any compassion for. Using your own brothers and sisters to shield you from being destroyed by First Impact…how pitiful. I might actually feel sorry for you if you weren't such a bastard."

Unit-S01 jumps to its feet and thrusts its sword rapidly at Loriana, who merely vanishes and reappears constantly, avoiding the attacks with ease. "Stop teleporting around!" Varian roars before Loriana appears standing on the sword blade.

"The only time I've used my teleportation power was when I took you away from Tokyo-03. This speed, which you can't even keep up with, is my own." Loriana snaps her fingers and the ground under Unit-S01 collapses under the weight of a massive gravity field. "Karma's a bitch, huh?"

"This is impossible!" Varian screams angrily, currently in a state of inarticulate fury from being toyed with like this. "There's no way you could be this fast!"

"Yes there is. I put myself in a high density Gravity Field in order to train by body to move normally in such a difficult area." Loriana smirks, "Right now, I feel like I could circle the entire Earth in a few hours."

"DON'T FUCK WITH ME, YOU BITCH!" A demonic figure appears in front of the Evangelion that is pinned down and charges straight at Loriana. She closes her eyes and vanishes before reappearing behind the demonic shadow. She creates a gravity field with the same amount of power as the one holding Varian's Eva but it doesn't even flinch. Loriana vanishes and reappears twenty five meters away, dodging the demonic shadow's attack. "Ha! You won't be able to stop my second form with an ability like that. It's immune!"

Loriana frowns, "So…your second form is a shadow of Sammael's form, huh?" She states calmly, "How sad you are. Unable to escape the shackles of your Master even after all this time, huh?"

"Silence!" The demonic shadow charges at Loriana, who just dodges each claw slash with ease, frowning as she noticed the attacks getting faster. Suddenly, her lavender dress has a cut in it.

Loriana teleports and is barely able to prevent an injury from occurring. 'He's getting faster…time to take out my trump card.' Her body glows with a golden radiance before the entire area is covered in a purplish-black sphere. "I remember you said that my ability won't work on your second form, right?" She swings her staff to the side, which seems to be moving slower than normal. "Let's see if you can counter the universal laws then, shall we?"

The demon starts to slowly stand up before slowly charging at Loriana. Varian's eyes widen in his cockpit. "What the hell is this?"

"Perhaps I should explain something interesting." Loriana taunts, her voice seeming to echo in the sphere before flying behind the demonic shadow and slamming her staff into its back, slamming it into the ground in slow motion. "Gravity fields are a very interesting weapon because of the effect they have on the flow of time." She states blandly, "The stronger the gravity field, the slower time flows for the objects in the field. Here's an example. Let's say a person falls into the gravity field of a black hole. To an outside observer, the person appears to have been instantly sucked into the black hole and vanishes. However, to the person inside the black hole, it appears that nothing is moving outside or inside the gravity well of the black hole."

Varian's eyes widen in horror as he realizes just how dangerous Loriana has become. She could actually win this battle…however… "So what? Your powers are dark in nature, and therefore just make my second form stronger over time. The longer this fight goes on, the stronger it becomes."

Loriana grins, "Then I'll just have to finish this quickly, huh?"

* * *

Unit 01 parries an incoming slash from an enemy Evangelion before cutting through its S2 Engine. Two of Varian's Evangelions slam down their lances down at Unit 01, but Shinji moves to block it with Chivalt's AT Field charged sword. His eyes widen as he is barely able to hold the attack back. 'What's going on here?' Shinji wonders before two diamond-shaped wings form on his back before Unit 01 overpowers its attackers, knocking the two enemy Evas back and breaking their stance. Unit 02 immediately takes advantage of the opening and cuts through both Eva Unit's S2 Engines.

"Geez, these guys seem to be getting tougher." Asuka mutters as her Eva takes flight into the air, barely evading two thrown Lance copies. "…And they're getting more accurate." She added nervously.

Sarah hears this and closes her eyes, focusing on the strange feeling she's been getting from the Evas since this battle began. Suddenly, her eyes widen before she smiles. "I get it. The other Crimson Angel must be distributing its strength to the Eva Series under Varian's control!"

Asuka blinks, "Wait, do you really think so?" She asks as Unit 02 deflects Varian's Eva Lance copy with her Heavy Prog Sword before cutting both the Unit and its S2 Engine in half.

Sarah nods, barely ducking under a lance swipe before kicking the enemy Eva back. "It's the same feeling I had with Radmiir being taken over. Plus, it's the only think that really makes sense."

Unit 02 flies around in the air, dodging the occasional thrown Lance and counting how many Evas are left. 'Twelve of Varian's Evas left…and five of SEELE's…' She thinks before speaking out loud. "Twelve left. Let's take them out quickly!"

Rei nods before closing her eyes and growing two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on Unit 00's back. Suddenly, a voice interrupts her thoughts. 'Rei, it's time.' Lilith states calmly. 'You'll need your friends' protection during the awakening.'

The blue-haired Eva Pilot nods before opening communications with Hikari. "I need you to protect me for a short period of time." She states in a serious voice.

Hikari smiles and nods, "Toji, Kensuke…I'll be back in a bit, okay?" She tells the two of them while blocking one of the Lance copies with her shield.

"Go on, Hikari." Toji replies, two diamond-shaped AT Field wings still on his Eva Unit's back. "We can fight these three ourselves. Right, Kensuke?"

"Yeah, get going." Kensuke smirks as he kicks an approaching Evangelion in the chest before firing a barrage of bullets from his machine gun.

Unit 07 dashes away from the battle and towards Unit 00. One of Varian's Eva Units move to pursue it but Toji's axe head flies past its head and the axe head and chain wraps around the enemy. "Hey, you're opponent is over here!" He yanks on the axe pole and sends the enemy Eva flying at him. Smirking, Toji kicks the enemy Eva in the center of its chest with an AT Field infused foot, shattering its S2 Engine and sending it flying into a tall building.

Hikari reaches Unit 00's side just as it rises into the air, a golden aura around the Evangelion. Unit 00's shoulder holsters shatter as a golden cross forms on its back. Two of SEELE's Evangelion dash over to Unit 07 to assist her in the defense of the First Child and her Evangelion Unit. Three of Varian's Evas take off into the air before flying at the crucified Unit 00. SEELE's Evangelions fly up at two of the Evangelions approaching and pins them in the chest with their Lances, grabbing onto them and pulling Varian's Evangelion down to the ground.

Unit 07 jumps up into the air and raises her shield to block the incoming Evangelion. The force of Varian's MP Eva was more than Hikari could handle and she was blasted down into the ground. The Evangelion swings its Lance copy before stabbing it at Unit 00's defenseless form. "NO!" Hikari screamed.

Just before the Lance pierces Unit 00 in the chest, Unit 07's left hand grabs tightly onto the Lance and clenches her fist, causing it to shatter. Unit 07 had two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on her back. "Back off." Hikari snapped before spin kicking the enemy Evangelion in the side, which blasted him into the city of Tokyo-03.

Unit 00's golden cross breaks in half and reforms into six diamond-shaped AT Field wings. Rei's eyes open and seemed to be different, but Hikari couldn't tell how. "Thank you, Hikari." She whispers.

* * *

Unit 05 is stabbed deeply in its side, causing Kensuke to cry out in pain before firing a massive energy blast from his Crimson Angel weapon. He swore, partly from the pain and partly from letting his guard down like that. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Toji getting distracted by his painful cry and is knocked onto his back before losing his grip on his axe. The remaining Evangelion Unit they were fighting slashes its Lance down at Toji. Kensuke knew he didn't have enough time to reach him, but he prayed that he would.

Inches from Unit 03's chest, the Lance copy and the Evangelion holding it is knocked away by Unit 05's flying tackle, now surrounded by a golden aura and has two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on its back. Kensuke infuses his Eva's AT Field into its right fist before punching straight through it and destroying its S2 Engine.

* * *

Misato gapes at the scores. At this point, EVERYONE had a sync of 300 except Sarah, who was currently at 100 at the moment. "How is this possible?" She demanded Ritsuko, who was similarly shocked at the situation.

"I don't know…but it's a blessing for us, because we'll be able to bring the fight to Varian's base if he manages to get away." She states calmly.

* * *

Units 01 and 02 also reach a sync of 500 and now have six diamond-shaped AT Field wings on their backs before flying into the next to Unit 00. Sarah breathes heavily as her Evangelion Unit jumps back and watches as the six remaining Evangelion Units under Varian's control take off into the air and fly at the three original children.

"Let's show Varian just who he's messing with here." Asuka smirks as her Eva's right hand points at the approaching enemy Evangelions. Shinji and Rei nods and also raise their Eva's right hand and points them at the enemy. "Get ready…" All six of them throw their Lance copies at the three Evangelions, who just float there. "Now!" Asuka shouted.

"Absolute Territory Field!" The three pilots shouted in unison and in perfect sync with each other. A clear, translucent rainbow-colored barrier appears in front of the three Evas. The moments the Lance copies touch the barrier, they shatter on impact until nothing is left of them.

* * *

"Doctor Akagi, the power of that AT Field was as strong as the AT Field projected by Tabris!" Maya reported, her expression filled with amazement.

"That's impossible!" Ritsuko shouted, "An AT Field cannot block the Lance of Longinus, let alone destroy them!"

Commander Ikari smiles faintly before becoming serious. "Those are not the True Lance of Longinus, and therefore, have a limit to what they can or cannot do." He states flatly.

* * *

Sarah smirks and watches as Units 03 and 05 fly up to the enemy Evangelions and either cuts through them or blast them into pieces. All of the pilots Evangelions were intact and three of SEELE's were still online. 'We did it…we actually did it…' Her eyes widen in shock as a sharp vision shoots through her mind, causing her to gasp. "Misato, where's Loriana and Varian?" She demanded.

Misato blinks before responding. "They are fighting outside Old Tokyo. I think you should all take a break before heading out though-"

Unit 06 dashed out of the city and started heading south, the vision of Loriana stabbed in the chest by a clawed demon racing through her mind. 'I can't let that happen…We can't lose an ally again!'

Misato swears before contacting the other pilots. "Sarah is heading towards Old Tokyo. Stop her from engaging Varian by herself!"

"Right!" Shinji replied quickly, wincing in pain and feeling drained from projecting that Absolute Territory Field. He knew Rei and Asuka felt just as drained because their wings decreased in number by two, leaving them with four left. His own wing count was two less as well. "Sarah, don't go by yourself!" He shouted as he flew after Unit 06.

"We have to hurry!" Sarah shouted back, trying to move her Eva faster.

"What's wrong?" Asuka demanded, following Shinji's lead in pursuing the girl. "Why do we need to hurry?"

"If we don't help Loriana soon, she'll die!" Sarah shouted as the other Evangelion also went into pursuit, some more enthusiastic than others.

* * *

A/N: I'm ending this chapter for now. Yes, I can hear the screams of protest about this but I've just about reached 5000 words so I'll end it here. Don't worry, next chapter will be a fight against Varian's personal Evangelion, Unit-S01. Trust me, it'll be worth fighting it at full power.

Read and Review!


	39. The Strength of Unit S01

A/N: I'm happy of Loriana turned out. Quite an interesting character and I greatly enjoyed having her toy with Varian so much. Anyways, let's begin.

Loriana smirks, "This is very fun. Varian's outrage is quite amusing to watch after all the horseshit he's pulled so far."

Asuka claps her hands, "Definitely. Loriana is officially part of the 'We Hate Varian' fan club!"

She raises an eyebrow as confetti flies into the air before it falls on the floor and triumphant music plays in the background. "I didn't think there WAS a fan club for that. Who's the chairman?"

Sarah sighs, "Give you one guess." She mutters before moving to the side to reveal a large meeting room, a table in the center with a white cross on it and many of the seats filled with the Eva Pilots, former Crimson Angels (Chivalt and Shalock), many of Nerv's personnel, and even some of SEELE's members. Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki sits to the right of the chairman's seat. Keel sits on the seat to the left of the chairman's seat. Commander Ikari calmly walks to the chairman's seat and sits down in it, his hands folded on the table in front of him.

Loriana blinks; "Wait, Commander Ikari is the chairman?" she looked confused.

"Incorrect." Ikari replies coldly, glaring at the man sitting to his left, who merely glares back. "The chairman is rarely present at these meetings, so I'm in charge. His seat is above us." In the center of the room, floating near the ceiling is an ordinate chair just floating there.

"Wait, that's everyone possible it COULD be. Who is the real-?"

"Wheeeeeeee!" Vanpat appears on the table and flies around the room before sitting in the ordinate seat. "I had some free time so I'll take action as leader of this fan club!"

Loriana sweatdrops, "You have GOT to be kidding me…"

"Sadly, I'm not…" Sarah mutters darkly before taking her own seat.

Loriana stares up at Vanpat curiously, "You, the author, hate your own fan-made character?" Her eyebrow was raised.

Vanpat shrugs, "It's hard to NOT hate him, Loriana." He clears his throat before speaking in an authoritative voice. "My first act today as chairman will be assigning who will read the disclaimer. Loriana, you're up."

Loriana sighs and shakes her head before facing the audience. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion."

* * *

Loriana whistles a soft tune as she continues to evade every single one of Varian's shadow demon attacks with ease. She knew at this point she couldn't beat this creature in terms of power, as it would just absorb the strength of it, but she still had the advantage of speed. Even if it grew stronger over time when she used her trump card, the Princess chose to keep the field up to keep Varian's Evangelion Unit from fighting as well. The last thing she needed was Varian's second form AND his Evangelion fighting her at once.

"Stand still!" Varian growled out angrily as his shadow demon missed her by a hair, but it appeared she waited until the last second intentionally.

"Why should I?" Loriana taunts. THIS was the other reason she kept the field up. It infuriated Varian to no end that he could clearly see her movements but do absolutely nothing about it. 'I'll need to take the field down sooner or later…' She thinks to herself, sidestepping another attack with ease. 'Time flows more slowly in here than out there…and I'll need some help to fight Varian now that he's unleashed his second form.'

* * *

Sarah didn't want to dwell on what ifs…but she realized that if they lost Loriana, they would have lost a powerful ally that knew the enemy inside and out. She also didn't want to dwell on the fact she broke down in front of her earlier…it was because she didn't want to admit that the Crimson Angel acted similar to her mother in some ways. 'Damnit…you'd better not die on us…' She thinks to herself as Unit 06 dashes towards Old Tokyo with the other Evangelion Units flying forward (Even the three remaining Eva Units from SEELE) and matching her desperate speed with ease. "Shinji! You, Asuka and Rei should go on ahead!" She shouted.

"We were planning on it." Asuka snapped before Unit 02 flew ahead of everyone else with Units 00 and 01 following her lead.

* * *

Loriana frowns, her mind starting to feel tired from using her trump card for…one hour and thirty-six minutes. 'It's been only a tenth of that time outside though.' She notes to herself before sighing regretfully and dodging another claw swipe. 'I've avoided using my power as much as possible but just keeping this field up for this long is tiring…but Varian's used up a lot more power than I have.'

"Loriana! Stop acting like a coward!" Varian snapped angrily, weariness evident in his voice. "I can keep this up as long as necessary!" The shadow demon has almost doubled in size since it first appeared.

"You're in no condition to shout at me-" Her eyes widen and she smirks evilly after sensing what was happening in the outside world. "Oh, looks like Nerv won and they're on their way here." She snaps her fingers and dismisses the gravity field around them. "Now, let's see how you can face both me AND them at the same time."

Varian was furious. She had purposely been toying with him long enough to exhaust him so that Nerv could finish him off. "Also, one more thing. I know for a fact your own body has been vulnerable to attack, hence the disadvantage of using that Crimson Angel form of yours." She chuckles, "The only reason I didn't attack you directly is because I wanted you to suffer unbearable pain and humiliation for the crimes you have committed."

Unit-S01 rises to its feet and charges straight at Loriana as the shadow demon mimes the action. Loriana did nothing but stand in the air as they approached. Just before they reached her, Unit-S01 was hit in the chest with an AT Field energy slash fired by Unit 01, which blasted it back into the nearby mountain. Before he could recovers, Unit 02 dive bombs the enemy from above and uses her AT Field Shockwave move, reducing half the mountain to dust before flying and flipping back onto her feet next to Loriana.

At the same time as the energy slash, a Lance copy stabs into the shadow demon in the chest, causing it to vanish. Unit 00 lands next to the Lance copy and picks it up before walking over to Loriana. "Nice throw…" Loriana chuckles, "You see, the shadow demon thrives in the darkness, but is vulnerable in the light, which is why you could beat it so easily."

Sarah and the other Evangelions catch up with Units 00, 01, and 02 within nine seconds. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief as the image of Loriana's death vanished. 'They made it in time…Thank God…'

Suddenly, a blood red cross of energy erupts from the mountain that Unit-S01 was knocked into and the corrupted Evangelion Unit flies into the air, twelve blood red wings adorning its back as the creature grows to become three times the side of Unit 01. "Geez, this guy really has a big ego." Asuka mutters softly.

"Sadly, that's the only thing that is big about him." Loriana notes, her voice carrying into Varian's entry plug.

A malicious air surrounds Varian's personal Evangelion Unit. **"I will rip you all to pieces!" **He roars in a demonic voice, two of the three sixes on his right hand glowing blood red.

Loriana frowns slightly. "He's being careless right now." She noted calmly as the Sun rose higher in the sky. "In Sunlight, his power is cut in half…right now, he is very vulnerable. This is our best chance to take him out…and the best part is that he's not even bothering to use his energy shield. He's too wrapped up in his anger to think rationally about this fight."

"Right…" Shinji mutters as the demonic Evangelion rises farther into the air. "Can you still fight?"

Loriana smirks, "Of course…I'm tired but I'll fight until I collapse from mental exhaustion." She replies in an amused voice as she spins her staff. "This won't be too difficult. He's already tired, and now that his shadow demon is sealed, he's nothing but a weakling now."

The demonic Evangelion creates one blood red cross in each hand, the long end facing outward like a sword blade. **"Hell fire will consume you all!" **The Evangelion opens its mouth and spews a barrage of fireballs. Unit 07 charges to the front and infuses its AT Field into her shield before projecting her AT Field forward. Unit 03 dashes forward and projects its AT Field with Unit 07's, blocking the attack with a golden barrier.

Unit 00, along with SEELE's other Evangelion Units, throw their Lance copies into Unit-S01's clawed hands or feet, causing the Eva to actually scream in pain before they all are incinerated by flames the shoot up around his body. Unit 01 flies up into the air and charges it's AT Field into Chivalt's sword before charging straight at him and slashing down at his chest, which is successfully blocked by one of Unit-S01's blood red energy swords. Its other sword swings around to hit Unit 01 from behind but Unit 02 blocks it with an AT Field infused Heavy Prog Sword.

Unit 05 flies around and behind the corrupt Evangelion Unit before firing a massive white energy beam from his Crimson Angel weapon, searing and burning off two of its wings and causing it to scream in pain. Unit 06 just stares at the battle, feeling useless in this situation. 'Look at everyone…they're all doing their best but I can't do anything.'

Loriana watches as Unit-S01 fires a stream of fire down at the Evangelion Units. Units 01 and 02 quickly fly back before Unit 03 flies in front of the flames and creates a purplish-black sphere around itself and absorbs the flames, which filled the gauge in his ax before he fires a massive Anti-AT Field blast at the enemy. The sphere ripped the right side and part of the right arm of the enemy Evangelion apart, which slowly began to regenerate.

SEELE's MP Evas fly up at the enemy Evangelion and curved blades on their arms come up before they start ripping into the regenerating part of the enemy Evangelion. The Eva screams in pain before stabbing its blood red cross-like swords into the three Evangelions, destroying the last aid the children had from SEELE. "Rei, need a weapon?" Sarah shouted before tossing Unit 00 her staff, which Unit 00 catches with ease.

"Yes. Thank you, Sarah." Unit 00 takes off into the air and charges its AT Field into the weapon before flying up to join Units 01 and 02 with their direct attacks on the corrupted Evangelion Unit.

"Aren't you going to fight?" Loriana asks in a weary voice, her form shifting back to normal.

"Didn't you say you were going to fight yourself?" Sarah countered before sighing. "I won't be of any use…I'm not strong enough to help against that thing."

Loriana chuckles softly. "You should believe in yourself more…and I'm completely drained right now. I need to wait until my S2 Core fully recharges before I can go into my second form again…but I think you'll be able to fight with this." Her staff grows in size before floating into Unit 06's hands.

"But…" Sarah was hesitant; believing Asuka, Hikari or Rei deserved this more than her.

"I've chosen you to wield it because you remind me of myself…Now, focus your AT Field into the weapon and use your imagination to wield its abilities." Loriana states calmly. "Everyone possesses the knowledge of how to do this…and it will awaken when needed." Her chair from the Crimson Angel meeting room appearing behind her and she wearily sits in it. "Go on…I'll be fine."

Sarah smiles and nods before focusing herself on the weapon given to her by the Crimson Angel. 'I'm tired of just being a burden…I want to help them with all of my power…' Her eyes widen as she feels a massive amount of power surging through her Evangelion. Two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on her back and she smiles fondly, unconsciously infusing Loriana's staff with her Eva's AT Field. 'Let's go!' The staff shifts in shape and color, now resembling a cross between a spear and a halberd. It has a broad, curved blade at the tip of the weapon that resembles a cross between an arrowhead and an axe-head. The staff itself is dark purple in color and the bottom of it looks like a navy blue gemstone surrounded by three stationary rings, which is surrounded by a lavender aura that spreads over the staff and the white blade of the weapon.

Loriana closes her eyes gently before opening them; her eyes now filled with resolve as Unit 06 flies into the air to join the battle with Varian's Evangelion. 'I've tied up every loose end now. Once my power is fully restored, I'm ending this battle.'

* * *

Rei frowns down at the weapon in her hand and remembering that Unit 04's staff has the ability to amplify the power of AT Fields charged into it. Unit 01 fires an AT Field energy slash out at Unit-S01, who holds off the blast with one of his energy swords. Unit 00 charges forward and slams her AT Field infused staff into the same energy sword blocking Shinji's attack, slowly pushing the enemy weapon back. Unit 03 flies up to the other blade and creates his weapon's AT Field absorption sphere, draining a great deal of the energy from the cross until the gauge is full on his ax. Toji smirks before firing a massive Anti-AT Field sphere that rips through its left arm and part of its left side, causing the Eva to scream in pain.

"**BACK THE FUCK OFF!"** Unit-S01 fires a shockwave of flames in all directions, searing Units 00 and 03 in red flames before they are blasted into the ground. Unit 07 raises her shield and creates a barrier in front of the fallen Eva Units, preventing further injuries on them. Unit 05 fires a barrage of white energy blasts that cancels out the enemy flames heading for him while Units 01 and 02 move at high enough speeds to either dodge the attack or they use their AT Fields to block it.

Suddenly, the enemy Evangelion combines its two energy swords into one, holding it in both hands, before slamming it down at Unit 01. Shinji quickly infuses his Eva's AT Field into Chivalt's Sword before raising it to block the attack. The sheer force of the attack caused the AT Fields from both Varian's Eva Unit and Unit 01 to appear at the contact point, fighting to overcome the other as both were AT Field based attacks. Unit 01's AT Field is slowly being pushed back as the Eva's arms are pushed down. Unit 02 infuses her AT Field into its Heavy Prog Sword before slashing it up next to Unit 01's sword, pushing the AT Field back up slowly and together they slowly start pushing Unit-S01's sword and AT Field back.

"**THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"** Varian screamed in horror, realizing that if he didn't retreat, he'd die right now…but he absolutely refused to withdraw after coming this far. His eyes widen as he grins maliciously at the thunderstorm approaching from the east at great speed. 'Well Darvin…it looks like you weren't totally powerless after all…'

* * *

Darvin collapses onto the ground, his breaths coming out as painful gasps as he is barely conscious inside in Crimson Angel computer room. His energy was completely drained from raising that thunderstorm and couldn't even move anymore. 'I'm sorry…I cannot aid you further, my Lord.'

* * *

Unit-S01's sword is continually pushed back as Unit's 01 and 02 force the attack and his AT Field back. Just as the blade tip was five meters from his head, the clouds overhead cover the three of them and blocked the Sunlight from touching Unit-S01. Suddenly, Unit-S01 slashes his sword down as if the Evas previously pushing him back were nothing but flies. Units 01 and 02 are blasted into the ground, their AT Field wings fading away as a flash of lightning appears behind Unit-S01, creating a silhouette of a demonic figure. Unit 03 quickly flies up at the creature, two more AT Field wings forming on his back, a total of four now. Toji gets between Unit-S01 and the fallen Evas before raising Revalt's axe and creating the purplish-black sphere around his Evangelion.

Unit-S01 slams its sword down at Unit 03 and the gauge on the axe is filled in an instant but the sword is still as large and powerful as earlier. Toji's eyes widen at the sword slams into his axe handle and the shockwave of the attack blasts him towards the ground near Unit 07, his AT Field wings vanishing as he falls. Unit 07 discards her shield and tries to catch Unit 03, but is pinned to the ground under Toji's Eva, her armor crushed in multiple places by the force of the fall and her AT Field wings vanishing as well. Five massive gravity wells appear around Unit-S01, slowing his movements. Unit 06 fires an electromagnetic slash wave that cuts Unit-S01's right arm off…but it quickly regenerates and reconnects with the main body.

'Instant regeneration?' Sarah thought quickly before flying to the right quickly, losing part of her left AT Field wing and realizing that if she didn't put those gravity wells around that Eva, she'd be dead right now. Unit 05 fires two massive beams of white energy at the corrupt Eva Unit, which burn his back deeply and incinerates his wings and tail. It screams in pain before the lost body parts and wounds are healed within three seconds.

"Damnit!" Sarah swears before unconsciously channeling every bit of her Eva's AT Field into her weapon before swinging her spear down into the ground and creating Loriana's trump card (Her absolute gravity field) around the entirety of the enemy Evangelion, causing it to be pushed to the ground and fall into a kneeling position. "Kneel like that, you bastard! And beg for forgiveness for your crimes!" Sarah shouted out, gasping in pain as she forced the field to stay up. Her body felt like it was burning from the sheer pain from forcing her attack to continue as a lightning bolt hits a nearby mountain peak.

Unit 05 charges every ounce of its energy into a single blast for his Crimson Angel weapon and fires it straight at the gravity field. The moment it enters the gravity field, it becomes heavily concentrated and hits the enemy in the back, causing a massive explosion that would have leveled the area had it not been contained in the gravity sphere. The noise of the explosion was subdued mostly from the gravity field but the sound of thunder replaced it. Sarah gasps out as her gravity field vanishes, her Eva collapsing on the ground and her AT Field wings vanishing. Kensuke gasps out as his Eva falls to its knees and its wings vanish as well.

"**Is that all you've got?"** Varian roars as the smoke clears, his Evangelion ripped apart into multiple pieces before it begins to regenerate as another thunderbolt hit the ground near the Eva Unit.

Sarah begins to cry in despair, realizing everyone had been defeated and the bastard still- 'Wait a minute…Where's Unit 00?' She wondered as some hope filling her heart. Sarah reaches her mind out and her expression becomes one of happiness. 'She's here…'

"**THERE'S NO HOPE FOR ANY OF YOU!"** Varian screamed before a single Lance pierced through the clouds, breaking the storm up as it spread apart, and pierced into his Eva's right shoulder, glowing with a bright white aura around it. **"What the fuck-"** Varian's eyes widen in horror at the sight of Unit 00 in front of the Sun, outlined as a shadow clearly with six diamond-shaped AT Field wings that were white in coloration. The thing that chilled and horrified the most was the fact that over 60 Lance of Longinus copies were floating in the air around Rei's Eva Unit, also glowing with white light.

Shinji struggles to look up and his eyes widen in shock. 'W-What is that?' He wonders.

'Amazing…Rei is using the same idea that Project 'Lightbringer' uses, which Unit 04 once possessed, to control those Lance of Longinus copies.' Yui replies softly.

"Prepare to feel God's Judgment." Rei stated flatly as every single Lance copy flew down into the enemy Evangelion Unit, piercing it in every part of its body and pinning it to the ground with one of the Lance copies going straight through its S2 Engine and causing the entire monstrosity to be set ablaze.

"**NO!"** Varian screamed angrily as his most powerful weapon against the Eva Pilots was successfully destroyed. Two of the three sixes on his hand no longer glow red but become black as he activates the auto-destruct before vanishing into thin air.

Unit 00 falls from the sky after its six AT Field wings vanish, Rei severely exhausted from the strain of using that much of her energy to pull that off. Before it hits the ground, Unit 00 is surrounded by an Anti-Gravity bubble which stops it from crash-landing. It gently lowers Unit 00 to the ground before the bubble vanishes. Sarah looks at the enemy Evangelion Unit and her eyes widen as the Unit-S01 glows with an ominous red light. "It's going to self-destruct…" Loriana mutters softly, her body shifting to her second form. "I planned to save this in order to kill Varian but there's no choice. The force of that Evangelion exploding would rip half of Japan apart…"

Sarah stares at her weakly, barely conscious at this point. "…If it's that strong, we'll never live through it…" she whispers softly. "Nothing can stop that."

"If I use the forbidden spell, I will be able to stop it with no problems." Loriana sighs before vanishing and reappearing above Unit-S01 and a dark purple aura surrounds its body. "This will suppress any and all effects of the explosion."

"Wait…it's forbidden, right? What'll happen if you do that?"

Loriana closes her eyes as a circular pattern with runes and a star appears both below and above the Evangelion Unit. It begins to float into the air between the two circular patterns as light shines between the two of them and forming a cylinder that holds both Unit-S01 and Loriana inside. "…Take care of that spear. It's yours now…and thanks for all you've done…Good luck." Suddenly the cylinder compresses heavily before it turns black in color and, if one looked closely, it appeared for an instant there was a dark sphere in the center sucking in everything inside before it all disappears.

* * *

One Week Later…

"We lost Loriana, but managed to save our Eva Units and acquire a new Crimson Angel weapon." Ritsuko noted calmly as she typed rapidly on her laptop. "And everyone was able to unlock their AT Field wings."

"How is everyone?" Misato asks softly.

"They're all still asleep and recovering from their injuries." Doctor Akagi replies sadly, "Everyone ended up in critical condition so they won't be able to fight that much for another week…but I doubt the enemy is in any better shape."

Misato sighs, "Where's Commander Ikari?"

"He's gone personally to the U.N. to explain what happened with all of our evidence. By the time he gets back, Varian won't be in the Secretary-General in the U.N. anymore." Ritsuko replies smugly.

* * *

A/N: I still don't know how the U.N. works and I'm too lazy to look it up.

The uproar in the U.N. building was deafening as Commander Ikari stood at the podium in front of the empty desk and chair of the Secretary-General and gave his report. His expression was coldly furious after he was interrupted once again.

"You sided with SEELE and a Crimson Angel with consulting US, Ikari!" The representative from the U.S. shouted angrily at the Commander of Nerv. "It's bad enough you caused the loss of OUR Evangelion Unit 04, but you also allied yourself with the enemy?"

"This is absurd!" The Chinese representative shouted as well. "Do you have ANY idea how much millions of dollars worth of damage was caused by the small war of yours in Tokyo-03? That's coming out of YOUR budget, Ikari. Not ours!"

"Silence." Ikari stated coldly with suppressed fury in his voice, causing the room to quiet down somewhat. "I acted without consulting the U.N. because Varian was Ravian. You idiots couldn't even realize that you were being led around the nose by the enemy."

"You have no right to say that to us, Ikari!" The Russian representative roared at him, causing another uproar from most the other members. "We can easily have you replaced with someone more obedient!"

Finally, the representative from Switzerland, who had rarely spoken but had always seemed one of the most intelligent members in the current U.N., stood up. Everyone became silent within five seconds, as many of them had respect for the old man in his late fifties and knew he was completely neutral. "May I have permission to speak?" He asked the assembly from his desk.

Commander Ikari frowns, knowing that the moment he lost control of his position at the podium, he'd never get another chance to speak. He decides to take a gamble. "Of course." He walks away from the podium with many of the members glaring at him before staring at the old man who walked over to the podium in a brisk walk.

He stares calmly at the assembly before speaking in a calm, yet strong, voice. "Recently, I've had concerns about the situation we've been in, both with SEELE's actions and the Crimson Angels that came afterwards." He pauses, "As such, I sided with Ikari remaining in charge of Nerv. I did not trust his personal motives, but I trusted his judgment. Let us assume that he chose not to ally with SEELE or the Crimson Angel for a moment. What would have happened?" The room was deathly quiet. "I could argue that 'what if' situations are pointless, but the odds for victory according to every Magi in the world showed there was a 7.54% chance of winning, even with SEELE's Evangelion Series and Loriana on their side."

"Now, I've heard complaints about how he lost Unit 04 and its pilot under his command. It is so easy to pin the blame on the Pilot's commanding officer rather than someone we couldn't reach, like Varian." Some of the members mutter darkly at this but soon become silent. "Again, I've heard complaints of the damage done to Tokyo-03 and to the Evangelions but rather than blame Varian, who was ultimately responsible for these actions, you pin the blame on someone you can take your frustrations out on like children." This time, those mutters became open protests and shouting dominated the assembly. "SILENCE!" The old man roared loudly and silencing the room.

He coughs from shouting like that, something he never did in meetings, and the old man continued after recovering. "Now, if you don't enjoy the facts being laid out like this, then you should retire. As for Varian…or should we say Ravian-"

"Ikari could have forged the evidence!"

The old man glares coldly at the representative from France, who shrunk down in his seat. "For what reason would he do that? He showed us irrefutable proof of Ravian's treachery and yet you defend him?" He turns to the others. "Let's say Ikari made this up…that it's some strange coincidence that the timing he was not seen by anyone in the world was during the times Varian has showed himself. Why isn't he here to defend himself?"

No one spoke out to that. "Commander Ikari, despite his actions, allowed him to successfully defeat Varian's Evangelion Series and his personal Eva Unit. This aid from SEELE does not excuse their previous actions, but their charges should be lowered a bit." He noticed the outrage in the other's faces. "That's as generous as I'll be to them, however. Now, to the topic of Commander Ikari. I feel that he should remain in charge of Nerv until this crisis is resolved." His glare silenced any protests before they left the lips of the other representatives. "He will, however, consult with us before trying anything rash." He turns to Commander Ikari, whose face is neutral. "Do you accept these conditions? If you do but break them, then you'll be more than demoted for it."

"I agree on the condition that, when my Evangelions and Pilots are ready, we send them after Varian in his base of operations." Ikari stated calmly.

"I think that's acceptable-"

"You want to send the Evas to the enemy HQ? Are you insane Ikari?" One of the representatives shouted.

"It's either than or wait for Varian to come after Nerv with another army of Evangelion Units, which will likely be more than sixty this time." Ikari states flatly. "We were barely able to win this fight, but now Varian is weakened without his trump card, Unit-S01. Would you prefer we sit and wait for five Evangelion Units with that level of strength come down to fight us?"

The room was silenced once again. The old man calmly overlooks the assembly. "Shall we vote on this matter? All for Ikari being in charge?" He watches as half of the people in the room raise their hands. "All against?" Only a handful of people raised their hands, but it seemed like the remaining members couldn't decide. "Very well, Commander Ikari you may leave now. You'll be in charge of Nerv for now."

Commander Ikari nods and smiles faintly. "Thank you." He replies calmly before walking out of the room just as he hears someone discussing the idea of choosing a new Secretary-General.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that was tiring to write…but at the same time, I couldn't stop myself from doing it. Believe me; I get as much fun out of writing this as you do reading this. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	40. Strategy Meeting

A/N: Let's see…Only Varian and Darvin are left now. If you're complaining that Sarah got a Crimson Angel weapon before Rei or Asuka, then zip it. Trust me, I'm saving the best for last. Oh, Hikari will be getting one too. It wouldn't be fair to leave her out, right?

Asuka glares at the author. "What's your excuse THIS time?" She demanded angrily.

Vanpat rolls his eyes, "I'm saving one of the best for last." He shrugs, dodging a punch from Asuka. "Don't complain. Your Crimson Angel weapon will be badass, okay?"

She grumbles but finally relents. "Okay, now who's next for this…?" Vanpat opens a scroll and looks down the list of names. "Ah, Kensuke, it's your turn now!"

He cheers before facing the audience. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion!" Kensuke says quickly before turning to Vanpat. "So, what are you going to do after this story is complete?" He asks curiously.

The author shrugs, "Dunno. I'll probably create a spin-off or something."

"Oh great, we'll never get away from him." Asuka mutters darkly.

* * *

Darvin sighs as he stares at the Doorway in the Crimson Angel Meeting Room, now only two of the blood red spheres on it in the center still glowing. The bottom of the upside down star and the one to the right still glowed. 'They are positioned in the same pattern as our seats…' He thinks to himself before watching as Varian appears in front of the Doorway, quite shaken. "How did Sammael take these turn of events?"

Varian shudders slightly, "He wasn't happy about my failures. He was furious about the loss of Unit-S01, which could have eventually become a vessel for his soul so his powers would be restored sooner after leaving the Doorway." He sits in his chair and stares at the three empty seats, which Darvin recovered for him. "He won't accept any further failures."

"Not surprising." Darvin noted in an old voice before sitting on Varian's right. "What's our next move?"

Varian sighs, "We wait for Nerv's Evangelion to come to us. We'll have the advantage here…" He stares calmly at Darvin. "You'll be the first line of defense. I'll wait in here for either you or the Evangelions to arrive. In this place, my power will be at its absolute strongest."

Darvin nods before a battle staff appears in his hands and he rises to his feet. "I understand, my Lord. I'll begin my preparations immediately." He vanishes into thin air.

* * *

Shinji sighs, his entire body feeling sore as he wakes up in a hospital bed. He notices Asuka in the bed next to him slowly waking up. "Asuka, are you okay?" He asks weakly.

She stares at him. "My body is sore all over and I feel like I've slept for a week. Otherwise, I'm okay." Asuka mutters sarcastically.

Both of them start to chuckle before Shinji replies. "Any idea what happened?" The boy asks softly, "The last thing I remember was Rei firing all those Lance copies into Varian's Eva Unit."

Asuka smirks, "Yeah, she was pretty awesome out there." He pauses, "Not as great as me though." The redhead added with a chuckle.

Shinji smiles and slowly sits up on the bed. "Yeah…I wonder how long we've been out for." The redhead also sits up, wincing slightly in pain. "You okay?"

"You already asked that." Asuka pointed out before throwing the covers off of her, dressing in a hospital gown as she stands up. "Mein Gott…I feel tired…" She stretches out.

The Third Child nods as he also rises to his feet and stretches his stiff body. Suddenly, the door open and Misato rushes inside before hugging the both of them tightly. "M-Misato?" He gasps out, having trouble breathing from how tight her hug was.

"I'm glad you two are okay…" She whispers softly, a tear falling down her cheek. "It's been ten days since the battle and you two, along with Rei, are the only ones awake right now."

"We…won't be okay if you crush us to death." Asuka gasps out weakly before the purple-haired woman lets go of them. "Geez, was it necessary to hug us that tightly?" She grumbles darkly.

"What happened with Varian's Eva?" Shinji asks over Asuka's muttering.

"Rei managed to defeat it, but Varian fled after activating the self-destruct, which the Magi theorized would have taken everything out within a 250-mile radius." Misato stated bleakly. "Loriana sacrificed herself to suppress the explosion completely."

Asuka swears angrily, "Damnit! How are we supposed to fight those two remaining bastards effectively without her intel on them?"

Misato sighs, "She left an encrypted data disk that contains every bit of information on them. Ritsuko managed to crack the encryption after a few days, so we know their abilities now. I noticed in the camera system in the hospital ward when I was walking with Rei out of the room and noticed the both of you up." She chuckles, "I'm glad you both woke up, because I think a strategy meeting is in order."

"Err, right." Shinji replies softly.

"Oh, and Asuka, I'm going to be having a talk with you about ripping part of Tokyo-03 apart with that move of yours." Misato states flatly, causing the redhead to sigh.

* * *

Rei sits calmly on a chair in the hospital lobby near the door leading outside. She had chosen to stay and wait for Misato to return with her two fellow pilots. Her body was tired from using what Misato jokingly called 'God's Judgment,' which was the attack on Unit-S01 using every single one of the Lance of Longinus copies. Despite having Angel DNA, using her own AT Field and her Eva's AT Field to that extent activated a safety mechanism in her body that forced her into a temporary coma in order to restabilize her AT Field.

"Look, I said I was sorry!" Asuka was heard complaining loudly as the door leading into the stairway opened and she stomped through with Misato and Shinji right behind her. Both of the children were dressed in their school uniform now. "Why don't you go after that stooge piloting Unit 03 for ripping half of the Geofront's armor layers apart instead of me?"

Misato glares at her. "I would, but he's asleep right now."

"And I just woke up!" Asuka shot back flatly, "Give me a break already!"

"Hi Rei." Shinji says softly.

"Hello Shinji and Asuka." Rei replies in a monotone voice as she stood up. "I believe that we have much to discuss concerning Varian and his remaining ally."

Misato nods, "That's right, Rei. We're heading for the screening room for that." Asuka and Shinji flinch slightly, remembering that was the room they were chewed out in after losing to Israfel.

* * *

Commander Ikari was seated in the top row of the seats with Fuyutsuki standing next to him. The next row was completely empty but the row below that Hyuga, Maya, and Aoba were seated. In the front row, Rei, Shinji, and Asuka take their seats. Misato stands at the end of the front row while Doctor Akagi stands in front of the screen. "Shouldn't we wait for the others to wake up before this strategy meeting?" Shinji asks curiously.

"Normally, I would agree." Doctor Akagi responds calmly. "However, we'll be discussing some things that only you three should know about."

Rei speaks out. "You mean what will happen when we defeat every Crimson Angels, correct?" The room became silent. "Tabris told me what will happen and I've told Shinji and Asuka what will happen as well."

"I see…" Commander Ikari states calmly, "Then we'll go straight into the important details. Sammael won't be at full power, but his strength will steadily increase. According to the documents translated, he has been sealed in the world of darkness for four billion years, allowing him to constantly absorb its power. When he is freed, taking that amount of power with him will be impossible. God created the seal to only allow a certain limit to the amount of power that can come out in a short period of time."

Shinji nods, "We know that part. We just have to kill him as quickly as possible, right?"

"Unfortunately it isn't quite that simple." Commander Ikari states flatly. "Sammael will live as long as he has enough energy to resurrect himself, meaning until his power is completely drained from both sides of the Doorway, he won't stay dead."

The children are deathly quiet. "Let me get this straight." Asuka states in a nervous voice. "You're saying that in order to finish this once and for all, we'll have to wait until his full power is on this side of the Doorway? How do you expect us to beat THAT?"

Commander Ikari shakes his head but Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki responds for him. "We obviously don't mean that. We just need you to force him to waste his power on you, whether from damaging him or having him use attacks, so he doesn't reach the equivalent of 1000 sync." He hesitates, "Actually, I'll let Doctor Akagi explain that."

"Thank you." Ritsuko replies before tapping the screen which turns off. She sweatdrops, "Maya, could you fix that?" She smiles and nods before typing rapidly on her keyboard. The screen turns back on and displays the shadow demon under Varian's control. "Thanks Maya…now, this is Varian's second form, which is a shadowy version of his masters' form, Sammael."

She taps the screen and three pictures of Unit-S01 appeared; each one at a different stage of power. "The top picture is nearly a mirror image of his shadow demon, meaning it's an Eva that was most likely created with Sammael's DNA." Ritsuko continues, "According to the information Loriana left with us, Varian has three sixes on the back of his right hand…"

Asuka intakes her breath sharply at that announcement, knowing full well what that number symbolized. "Is he the Anti-Christ?" She demanded.

Ritsuko frowned, "Well, he did take control of the U.N. but it didn't work out for him in the end. It's hard to say but you're probably right." She admits, "At any rate, with each six that glowed, Unit-S01 evolved further." The pointer found its way to the second picture. "Obviously, this evolution brought a massive amount of power." She points to the third picture, "This was the form you all faced, and he had the equivalent of a sync of 500. His power, however, skyrocketed after that storm popped up out of nowhere…and we believe that, after examining the other Crimson Angel's profile, Darvin raised to storm to block the Sunlight."

"Loriana informed us that Sunlight cut Varian's power in half." Rei stated calmly.

"She was right. The moment the Sunlight was blocked, his power skyrocketed." Misato stated flatly. "The Magi couldn't even calculate his sync at that point, because of the interference that thing caused in the scanners."

Ritsuko nods bleakly, "Back on topic though. You were barely able to defeat Unit-S01. Had Rei not broken through the cloud layers and attacked with all those Lance copies, I doubt we'd all still be alive."

"Weren't you talking about Sammael though?" Shinji asks softly, "What does this have to do with him?"

"It's possible his form will be similar in shape and abilities as the Evangelion Unit with his DNA." Ritsuko states calmly. "Meaning that if it's true, we definitely aren't ready to face him in combat yet…"

'There's hope.' Yui whispers softly to Shinji. 'We need to recover both Lance of Longinus and take both Varian's and Darvin's Crimson Angel weapons. At that point, our victory is assured.' She pauses, 'Point this out to them but don't tell them about me yet.'

Shinji frowns, "What if we took the Crimson Angel weapons from Varian and the other one, and used the Lance of Longinus as well when fighting him. Would we have a chance then?"

Misato raises an eyebrow, "Actually, that's a good idea…Rits, would it work?"

She hesitates, thinking for a moment. "It would be chancy, but it's better than before. Sammael can use any and all abilities of any and all of the Crimson Angels in existence, including the ones Varian never used." Asuka swears angrily. "Just the abilities they personally possessed, not the powers their weapons had."

"Rits, what did Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki mean by 1000 sync?" Misato asked flatly.

"It's mostly theory, but Unit-S01 was probably meant to act as a host for Sammael's soul, which would likely allow his power to increase faster since he'll have a physical body on this end to enter. His own body has likely become so saturated in power that even trying to leave through the Doorway with it would cut his restoration in half." Ritsuko explains, "The theoretical 1000 sync I was talking about is when an Evangelion is fully awakened. This only happened once, which was during Third Impact. The Eva Unit gains twelve golden wings and has the powers of a God. Meaning, if Sammael gains too much power on this side of the Doorway, he'll be unstoppable."

"Doctor Akagi, we can finish this discussion later. Move on to the remaining Crimson Angels for now." Ikari stated coldly.

"Understood sir." Ritsuko nods to Maya and a picture of an old man with long white hair and a white beard appears on the screen. "This is the 16th Crimson Angel, Darvin. He goes by the title of 'Elemental Master.'"

"Great…that means he can do whatever he wants." Asuka muttered darkly.

"He can manipulate the elemental forces to his advantage in combat." She state flatly, annoyed at Asuka's muttering. "He's primarily a long-range fighter and doesn't use close combat unless absolutely necessary. His Crimson Angel Weapon, which is in the shape of a battle-staff, can shift his AT Field into a physical form like fire, water, etc. In short, he can draw upon any force, no matter the battle conditions or terrain, and use it against his opponents."

"Can't they stop cheating already?" Asuka complained, "Doesn't creating something for nothing break universal laws?"

"Actually, he's using the energy of his AT Field to create matter. This isn't against the universal laws, but it's close to doing it." Ritsuko sighs, "Unfortunately, there's no information on his second form."

"Figures…" Asuka muttered darkly, "It's probably a form that either enhances his own abilities for long-range combat or fixes the flaws he has in close-range combat."

Misato nods, "You're probably right…Rits, how about Varian?"

Doctor Akagi taps the screen and a picture of Ravian and Varian's true form appear, as well as his second form, the shadow demon. "As you all know, Varian was manipulating the U.N. quite easily until he got careless and threw it away in favor for attacking us in full force." She pauses, "His second form is a separate being, meaning his main body is vulnerable to direct attack. However, like Unit-S01, darkness magnifies its powers; it won't be easy to take it down in Varian's stronghold."

"What is his ability?" Shinji asks softly.

Misato sighs, "Unfortunately, we don't know that. The data was too encrypted for Loriana or SEELE to copy or even hack into. The data we have on Varian is data we personally have on him."

"Is it possible his ability is connected to his second form?" Rei asks in a monotone voice.

Doctor Akagi frowns, "Yes, but it's possible that is a deception." She taps the screen and four of the five human-form Crimson Angels, along with their second forms, appear on it. "Each of them had a set of advantages and disadvantages. Chivalt was primarily a close-range combat user that had a devastating long-range attack. His strength and skill in that regard gave him the title of 'Crimson Knight.'"

Shinji sighs sadly, "Hey, cheer up." Asuka holds onto his hand. "There was nothing anyone could do for him…or Loriana."

"I know…" He mutters softly, squeezing her hand gently.

"Shalock was a long-range combat user that used shadows as a form of attack. Imagination was the key to this ability, and his weapon took advantage of his ability. There can be no darkness without light." Ritsuko states calmly. "His second form magnified his ability to manipulate shadows and heightened his own physical abilities, although he still preferred long-range combat. He was given the title of 'Shadow Manipulator.'"

"These titles are hardly imaginative." Rei noted.

Doctor Akagi nods in agreement. "Morlina, or Loriana, has the ability to manipulate gravity and magnetic fields. She is both a short and long range fighter, leaving her with few weaknesses. Her original second form was larger than the one you all saw, but her perfect synchronization with the Crimson Angel brought forth the form she used against Varian. At that point, she was equal in power with Varian." She pauses, "Because of this, her speed and strength with equal with her manipulation powers. Her title was the 'Gravity Queen.'"

"Again, that's not very imaginative." Asuka notes blandly. "She was a Princess as a human."

Ritsuko shrugs and she taps the screen again, which turns off. "True, but Varian doesn't have much imagination since he came up with these. After all, he just reversed the first three letters of his name to infiltrate the U.N." The screen withdraws into the ceiling. "Anyways, that's it for the presentation. The next meeting will discuss our counterattack against Varian and Darvin."

"Why not talk about it now?" Asuka demanded, "We're here anyways."

"We'll talk about it when everyone is present. I don't want to repeat this entire thing over again." Ritsuko states flatly. "This was originally a meeting just between Nerv personnel, but Misato insisted that you three should be present as well."

"Fine…" Asuka mutters before standing up and stretching. "Mind if we head home then?"

"Sure." Ritsuko replies calmly as the other personnel rise to their feet and walk out of the room. "After I do a quick checkup on all three of you." The three pilots groan or, in Rei's case, just sigh.

* * *

'Mother, are you there?' Shinji asks hesitantly at nighttime, staring up at the ceiling of his room at Nerv HQ. Asuka was infuriated to learn that the apartment was destroyed during the attack. Luckily, Misato decided to bring Pen Pen along to the base that day so he'd be safe. Currently, he was alone in the room, even though there was a spare bed inside.

'Yes darling. Did you need something?' Yui asks calmly.

'We know where Adam's Lance of Longinus is, but do you know where Lilith's is?'

Yui becomes deathly quiet. 'I do.' She says finally. 'I'd prefer we not use it unless the worse-case scenario happens.'

'Where is it?'

'I can't tell you, Shinji…but if we truly need the Lance belonging to Lilith, it will be available to us whenever we need it…' Yui's tone hints that she is afraid of using it.

'What's wrong?' Shinji asked, worried about his mother. 'What'll happen if we do use it?'

'…We'll win without fail.' She states softly. 'But I don't know what will happen if we try it…what type of future will be in store for the world.'

'Is it that dangerous?' Shinji asks nervously.

'Dangerous isn't quite accurate, Shinji.' Yui states calmly, 'If we do this…I can't tell you what will happen, because I don't know myself. Fear of the unknown is something foolish for humanity to do, but in this case, it's justified.' She pauses, 'I'm sorry darling. You don't need to worry about this until necessary. Now get some sleep.'

Shinji sighs and nods, curling up under the covers and slowly falling asleep as he listens to Ode to Joy from his cassette player.

* * *

The sky was black with blood red clouds, a solar eclipse currently occurring…but this was much different from a normal eclipse. The moment the Moon completely covered the Sun, twelve red points glow brightly at the edge of the Moon before a red line slowly starts from the top, connecting to the other dots in a clockwise fashion until it's a perfect circle. Moments after this is formed, a pentagram forms in the center the Moon, spreading out until its edges touch the circle.

The person observing these events looks to the left, seeing a silver and red colored Evangelion, a black and red Evangelion, and a green Evangelion. The silver Eva Unit wields a staff in its hands, the black and red Evangelion holds an axe, and the green Eva has two crosses attached to its arm. The person looks to the right and sees a blue and white Evangelion, a purple Evangelion with green highlights, a red Evangelion, and an orange-golden Evangelion. The white and blue Eva holds a two-pronged spear in its hand, the purple Eva wields a sword, the red Eva seems different from normal, a strange golden armor connected to various parts of its body, and the final Unit in the row has a Cross connected to its left arm.

The person sighs and looks up at the eclipse and the pentagram. Suddenly, the center of the upside down star glows blood red and vanishes, an endless sea of flames now visible. The flames shoot out from the new opening, slowly spreading out along the pentagram before a black demonic claw covered in scales grabs onto the edge of the pentagram behind the endless sea of flames. The person flinches as another claw grabs onto the other side before two demonic eyes, with a third in the forehead region glows a malevolent red from beyond the flames.

* * *

Sarah gasps as she wakes up with a start, clutching onto her head painfully with both hands pressed against her forehead as the vision repeats itself in her mind. 'What the hell…that was a lot more vivid than just the red star in the sky…' She thinks to herself as the vision fades into memory. 'What's going to happen…I saw Shinji and his sword…Rei with…a Lance copy? No, this one was red, not grey.' She shakes her head. 'I saw Toji and his axe…Kensuke and his crosses…I didn't see my Eva, so I guess I was myself in that vision…'

She looks around her empty hospital room, noticing the darkness outside and sighs. 'I wonder how long I've been out…wait, that silver and red Eva looked like Unit 04's old form…it can't be.' Sarah shakes her head sadly, 'I saw some other stuff…Unit 02 had weird golden armor on its body…and Hikari's Eva had a cross on her right arm, but it was golden in color…'

Sarah throws the sheets off of her and slides off the bed, her feet touching the cold floor before walking over to the window. 'It was too vivid to be a dream, but what the hell was going on in it?' She shivers, noticing she's only in a hospital gown. 'God, I'm freezing. I wonder if anyone is awake.' She shuffles over to the intercom system and hits the button on it before yawning. "Hello? Anyone there?"

Within three seconds, there's a reply. "Sarah, you're awake?" Ritsuko's surprised voice reached her. "I didn't expect you to wake up for another couple of days."

"Geez, if that's how you feel, I'll head back to bed." Sarah grumbles. "So, how long have I been out? What time is it?"

"Twelve days as of six minutes ago. It's 12:06 in the morning."

Sarah groans to herself. "God, I feel lousy…" She complains, sitting back on her bed with the intercom still running on her end. "How's everyone else?"

"Rei, Asuka, and Shinji are all at Misato's apartment. They're in good condition, but the others are still asleep." Doctor Akagi notes calmly, "Also, you sound a bit stressed. Something wrong?"

'Damn, she figured it out.' Sarah thought to herself before responding. "A nightmare woke me up."

Ritsuko was silent on the other end for a few moments before replying in a serious voice. "The medicine I gave you should have suppressed those nightmares so you don't remember them. Was it a premonition?"

'Did she have to read my personal file?' Sarah thought angrily to herself. "I don't know." She lied, "It's a matter of time until I'll know for sure." Her thoughts were different, however. 'Like I need to cause everyone worry over something like this. It just means we've probably won but have some other threat to deal with…'

"I see…" Ritsuko wasn't an idiot, however. "What was this nightmare about then?"

'Why does she have to be so smart?' Sarah thought bitterly. 'Well, I'm not giving her every bit of information through the intercom.' She finally speaks up. "It was weird mostly…the Eva Units were all lined up and had weapons…Unit 02 had weird armor and Unit 07 had a golden cross on her left arm. There was a solar eclipse and the sky became dark with red clouds. A pentagram forms on the Moon and a demonic claw comes out from it."

Ritsuko was silent on the other end. "I see. Were they all wielding Crimson Angel weapons?" She asks seriously.

Sarah frowns, "No…Unit 00 had a red Lance of Longinus copy in her hand…" She hears a sharp intake of breath. "But I guess that's the original, right?"

"Yeah…that's correct. The copies are all grey, and only the original is red in color." Ritsuko pauses, "Anything else?"

Sarah debated with herself to mention Unit 04, but decided not to. "No, nothing." She replies softly.

"…I see. Head down to my office and I'll do a brief checkup on you before I'll send you down to your new room here."

"Wait, what? What about the apartments?" Sarah demanded.

"They were destroyed, along with most of the city, during the battle." Doctor Akagi states calmly, causing the brunette to swear angrily.

"What about Serena. Did she get out of the city before the attack?" Sarah really didn't want to lose someone else. Serena was her last real connection to the boy that captured her heart and she saw the young woman as an older sister now that Patrick was gone.

"She's currently rooming with Misato, despite her protests about it. I suggested she could room with Kaji when he came back and she stopped complaining about having Serena as a roommate." Ritsuko chuckles; causing Sarah to smile faintly. "Anyways, I'm having you stay with Rei. Asuka would rather be roommates with Hikari, when she wakes up."

Sarah sighs, "Okay. I'm heading down now." She stands up, ignoring the chill of the floor as she grabs some slippers next to the bed and puts them on. The brunette notices her hair is untied and looks around the room for her school clothes. She preferred her blue skirt and white top but the uniform would have to do. The girl pulls the hospital gown off and pulls her school uniform on. She noticed a few new scars from the previous battle and winced. 'Damn…I'll have to ask for that anti-scar cream again.'

She notices the intercom was still on and she shuts it off, checking herself over and making sure she's presentable. Sarah looks at the pile where her clothes were and a bright sky blue ribbon rests there, previously hidden under her clothes. She takes the ribbon and ties her hair up, making a nice bow at the end out of habit. 'There…time to head down.'

* * *

Ritsuko frowns as she looks over the data from the children, baffled how they all woke up so early. In fact, three hours after Sarah visited her, Hikari, Toji and Kensuke all woke up with nothing wrong with them, except annoyance about their destroyed homes and worry about their families. She glances at the clock, which read 6:02 A.M. and sighs. 'It's bad enough they woke up early, but those three woke up at the exact same time…what's going on here?'

"Are you curious?"

"Of course I-" Ritsuko snapped irritably as she turned around, only to jump in surprise and fall on the floor, grabbing the gun under her desk and pulling it out at the boy that should have been dead, yet stood in front of her.

Kaworu chuckles, his hands in his pockets as he stares at Doctor Akagi with amusement. "Calm down. I'm just a spirit." He points to his halo with his right hand before putting it back in his pocket. "I'd like to keep this visit low key but such is life. To answer your question, thank me for waking those three up…as well as the others as well." He frowns, "Sarah, however, woke up with minimal effort on my part."

"Why are you here?" Ritsuko demanded, not lowering her gun but also not turning the safety off either.

"I'm merely giving you information. After all, you'll need to strike at Varian before he fully recovers from that previous battle." Tabris becomes serious. "Keep an eye on Sarah. Her visions are slowly getting stronger as the final battle grows closer. She saw Unit 04 in her vision too."

Ritsuko swears, "I didn't want her finding out about that. Does she know about Patrick?"

Kaworu shakes his head. "Not yet, but if her visions continue, she probably will." He sighs, "You'll have to up the dosage. Certain facts shouldn't be known to anyone yet, understood?"

Ritsuko lowers her gun and puts it under her desk before retaking her seat. "Wouldn't that be an advantage, though?"

"No, it would make things worse." Kaworu states bleakly. "The future is mostly set in stone and trying to avoid it will just make things worse."

Doctor Akagi sighs, "Alright…" She writes a note to herself on her desk before turning to face Kaworu again, but he's gone.

* * *

A/N: Truthfully, this type of thing actually happens in real life. The visions part, I mean, but I changed things a bit. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	41. Days of Training

A/N: You know, I don't think I ever thanked my readers for putting up with some of the dramatics I've been using. When you get down to it, there's no real reason I'm keeping Patrick alive except to fight in the final battle. Otherwise, he's not needed…Actually; he's not needed for it either. Shinji will be the hero for that battle. Anyways, let's get started.

"Wait, someone must read the disclaimer." Rei states calmly.

Vanpat sighs with annoyance, "If they didn't get it by now, then they won't ever get it. Can't we just skip it?"

"No. Sarah, it is your turn." The First Child says in a monotone voice.

The brunette sighs before facing the audience. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any way, shape, or form. There, happy?"

"Yes." Rei replies with a smile.

A/A/N: One last thing. Please leave some reviews as to how I'm doing so far. Having one or two people reviewing isn't the best sign.

* * *

Asuka stares curiously at Rei, who is currently dressed in her plug suit rather than her school uniform. The redhead was annoyed to find out that Ikari wanted Rei to continue teaching them how to use their AT Field but agreed to give them their two-week vacation after this was all over. Rei was standing next to the edge of the water of the circular plaza. The blue-haired Eva pilot closes her eyes before two pristine white angel wings appear on her back as she is surrounded by a white aura. "You remember when I showed you this in Germany, correct?" Rei asks calmly, staring forward at where she observed Shinji and Asuka from a distance at one point before turning to face them.

Shinji and Asuka both nod, sitting next to each other on a bench next to the nearby fountain. "Good. Now, even though you've both reached a sync of 500, there is one way to gain further power." Both of them nod again; intent on getting stronger after losing to Unit-S01 so easily yet having Rei counterattack so skillfully. When they saw the recording of Rei's attack, which Misato jokingly named 'God's Judgment,' hit every single major joint and muscle while the remaining Lance copies pinned the enemy Evangelion to the ground in the shape of a cross, they decided that they needed to become stronger.

"How?" Shinji asks the First Child in a soft voice, currently wearing a light grey shirt and black pants. "Do you mean that white aura around your Evangelion?"

Rei smiles and nods, "Correct. When your personal AT Field is fully under your control, the normal golden color you'll possess will change to a color that suits you as an individual." She stares down at the white aura around her arms. "Mine is white in color, but I've already explained this topic."

"Okay, how does this have anything to do with-" Shinji begins before Asuka sighs.

"Shinji, her aura is white and her Eva's aura was white." Asuka explains calmly, currently wearing a sky blue top and a knee length navy blue skirt, "Meaning that using your AT Field in tandem with your Eva's highest sync will bring the type of power-up Rei got, right?" She looks at the First Child when she says that last word.

Rei blinks, "That is mostly accurate, but this can be done at any time when in your Evangelion Unit and it's not exactly a power-up." She pauses, "To put it simply, piloting can be divided into two parts. Power and skill. The power is given by the Evangelion, and the skill is given by the pilot. So far, both of you have reached the peak of your power with Evangelion, but your skill level is not quite that high."

Asuka glares at her, "Are you saying-"

"I'm not trying to offend you, Asuka." Rei states firmly. "What I'm saying is that having a perfect skill level is impossible when it's hindered by emotions. Thinking only of a single thing, to protect your friends, yet to have a strong enough will to do so, is impossible for normal humans to do. Take Patrick for example. His skill level was higher than yours because he artificially enhanced it with the systems installed in his Evangelion. One system enhanced his connection with the Evangelion, allowing their movements to be synchronized. Another system magnified his AT Field manipulation abilities, allowing him to control separate objects and power them with his own AT Field."

"Obviously, these were merely shortcuts to gain what he wouldn't normally be able to control." Rei stated calmly. "You've all seen the recording of Unit 04 being possessed. Varkon fused its own AT Field with Unit 04, but a great deal of the power used by Unit 04 was artificially made by those very systems."

"So basically, Patrick cheated." Asuka points out bluntly.

"That's accurate enough." Rei noted, "The type of power produced, however, wasn't pure enough to be a large threat. 'Pure' power is power under absolute control and not tied with the emotional state of the pilot." She pauses, "What I'm going to teach you is the exact same thing I've been trying to teach you all in Germany, but now you know the significance of it. It isn't a power-up, but in fact refining your own personal power."

"Wait, Unit 01 had a purple aura when it had the equivalent of 500 sync, but Shinji wasn't piloting at the time." Asuka pointed out. "Why did that happen…and what did you mean by 'refining?'"

Rei frowns slightly, "Yui, Shinji's mother, acted of her own accord and fully synchronized with the Eva Unit itself. All of the souls inside the Eva have the easy capability of fully synchronizing with the Eva, but Unit 01 is the only Eva not restricted by the armor…this is a side-effect from Third Impact." She pauses, "As for refining…I should point out that every human has personal limitations…even just living has certain limitations. Fully mastering the AT Field aura will allow you to safety remove those limitations without negative side-effects. Now, show me your AT Field aura."

Shinji closes his eyes and focuses on his AT Field. Asuka does the same for her AT Field. Rei watches Asuka's aura shift from orange to a golden color with a nearly stabilized outline while Shinji's aura glows golden in color, stabilized as a straight outline around his body.

Rei smiles and actually laughs; breaking the concentration of the two of them. "Sorry…but I could not help laughing at how far you've progressed from just some encouragement."

Shinji looks baffled. "What do you mean?"

"What were you thinking and feeling at the moment you focused on your AT Field?" Rei asks curiously.

"Well, I was thinking about how important this was and just focused on my AT Field." Shinji admits, "My feelings…I felt mostly calm, why?"

"Good question, Shinji. I felt a bit annoyed by not being told sooner the importance of this but otherwise it was the same as Shinji." Asuka states flatly.

Rei nods, "You can't be tied down by your negative emotions when using your AT Field. Shinji was nearly perfect at this. Asuka, you have progressed well, but you'll still need more training." Rei looks at the both of them. "Emotions tend to cloud judgment, as well as unintentionally waste your power. Now, in your current states, I want you to fight against me without holding anything back." She states seriously, "I want to see how long you can hold this while in combat."

Shinji charges at Rei quickly and she flips back and uses her wings to stabilize herself so she landed on the water, using her own AT Field as a cushion so she didn't fall into it. Asuka was shocked that she could actually SEE them this time. The last time, she couldn't even follow their movements but now, she could easily read them. 'That's because using your AT Field with your own body heightens your senses to their peak.' Kyoko whispers to her daughter. 'However, your AT Field also acts of its own accord to regulate this so a cut doesn't feel like losing an arm. This is why this AT Field state is important. The Evangelions have no limitations in their abilities, but normal humans do have these limitations when piloting, which prevents the full potential of an Eva from being used effectively.'

'Thanks for the information, Mama.' Asuka replies mentally with gratitude in her voice before two wings form on her back, much to Rei's surprise. She flies past Shinji and punches at Rei, but she lefts her right hand to catch her fist, the shockwave of the attack causing the water to part between the two of them as their AT Fields' become visible.

Rei smiles, not flinching in the slightest from the attack. "Impressive. Your speed can match my own, but your power is unstable." She notes as the First Child stares at Asuka's now unstable aura. "It's ironic that you chose speed over power."

"Don't get overconfident, Rei." Asuka smirks before vanishing and reappearing behind the First Child and spin-kicking her from behind, but Rei vanishes just before contact, reappearing in the center of the fountain.

"Excellent. You almost hit me but-" She cuts off after a golden sphere hits her in the back, causing her to gasp in surprise before turning around to project her AT Field, blocking a barrage of those spheres. Shinji stops throwing punches at Rei, the sphere barrage fading away. 'He fired his AT Field as a ranged attack…' She thinks to herself. 'I didn't expect that kind of attack from him yet.'

"How are we doing so far, Rei?" Shinji asks softly, two angelic wings appearing on his back but, like Asuka, his aura becomes less stable.

Rei smiles faintly. "You are both doing an excellent job. Creating two wings is progress, but it is difficult to keep your field stabilized when using them, because it isn't a natural part of the body." She replies in a monotone voice. 'These two are progressing rapidly…faster than I thought they would.' She thinks to herself, 'Should I teach them 'that' too? No…it's too early. It likely won't even be necessary for the final battle.'

Asuka flies at Rei and vanishes just before she came into range of her. Rei's eyes widen before vanishing and reappearing five feet from the fountain, which is now in shambles from Asuka's AT Field based move, the shockwave-like attack she used against Varian's Eva Series. '…I liked that fountain…' She thought sadly. "Okay, that's enough for today." Rei says firmly. "I don't want you two to rip this place apart to just try and catch me."

Asuka blinks in surprise at her expression, her AT Field vanishing from around her body before the water from the pipe under the fountain blasts out at Asuka and it soaks her clothes and hair. She looked annoyed as a strand of hair falls in front of her left eye and she pulls it away. 'Great…my clothes are soaked now.' The redhead notices the amused expression on Rei's face and her eyes narrow before turning around to look at Shinji, who averts his eyes with a deep blush on his face.

"Perhaps you should put on new clothes, Asuka." Rei suggested blandly. The redhead looks down at her clothes and blushes deeply, realizing the water had made her top somewhat see-through, revealing her red bra underneath. The water running down her body didn't exactly help her situation, but instead it sensually outlined her body. The First Child chuckles softly at the Second Child's expression of embarrassment. "You can use your AT Field to get rid of the water in you clothes…but if you don't do it right, you might lose your clothes too." She smiles impishly.

Asuka and Shinji's faces became deep red at that statement. "Don't even think about it, Shinji!" The redhead snapped before walking up to Rei. "Can you do it then?"

Rei chuckles, "If I did, you wouldn't learn anything new from it." Frankly, she enjoyed teasing the both of them like this.

Asuka swears at her in German but chose not to pursue it. "Shinji, turn around!" She snapped, "If you look, I will kick your ass." The redhead watched as Shinji turned around and chose to examine the remains of the fountain while Asuka pulled her top off and laid it on the ground before crouching next to it. 'Mama, can you help me with this?'

Kyoko was heard laughing before she replies. 'Okay, Asuka. It's quite simple. It's best to test this with an article of clothing off of your body.' She pauses, 'Calm down and focus your AT Field around and inside your top.'

Asuka takes a deep breath, putting the situation out of her mind as she spread her AT Field throughout her top. It was definitely more difficult than just having it surround her body. 'Excellent work, Asuka,' Kyoko compliments her. 'Now, think of the feeling the water has on your clothes and spread your AT Field out slowly.'

She frowns before following her mother's instructions and spreading her AT Field out. Asuka had closed her eyes in order to focus more on the task in front on her. The Second Child hesitantly opens her eyes and smiles broadly as her clothes were now completely dry with the water spread out around it but not touching it. 'YES!'

'Excellent work, Asuka,' Kyoko notes blandly. 'Now, try to dry the rest of your body.'

'Um, I don't think that's a good idea.' Asuka thinks back, blushing deeply. 'If I screw up…'

'I don't see the problem. Honestly, Rei couldn't care less and the only other person here would be happy to see you without clothes.' Kyoko teases.

'That ISN'T funny!' Asuka snaps angrily, her blush now dark red in color.

Kyoko laughs gently, 'Okay Rei, we've teased her enough for today. Help her out a bit.'

Rei smiles and nods before gently resting her left hand on Asuka's shoulder before surrounding her in an AT Field and purging the water from her clothes and the water running down her body into a sphere surrounded by an AT Field before releasing it in the water surrounding the plaza.

Shinji mutters something, his own face deep red in color, likely from his own mother's teasing. He stands up but doesn't turn around. "Um, can we go for today then?" He asks Rei, refusing to turn around.

Asuka quickly pulls her top back on and sighs gratefully as Rei replies. "That is correct." The redhead wastes no time in grabbing onto Shinji's arm and pulling him away, not planning to let Rei get off another teasing comment.

* * *

Ritsuko was enthusiastic about testing out to see if the other pilots could reach a sync of 300 consciously, but was disappointed when they were unable to do so. Misato frowns and sighs, "I guess it was too much to expect them to be able to pull it off so soon." She admits ruefully. "Where are Asuka, Shinji and Rei?" She asks Doctor Akagi curiously.

She chuckles, "Rei is probably training Shinji and Asuka to use their AT Fields more effectively." Ritsuko replies before going back to the simulation battle in front of her. "I have an idea, but it'll take a few days to program it in."

Misato looks curiously at Ritsuko. "What's your idea?"

"Program copies of the human-form Crimson Angels into the simulator for battle." Doctor Akagi states blandly.

"Are you crazy?" Misato demanded angrily. "It's bad enough you've been programming most of the normal Angels and even some of the demon-form Crimson Angels in…but you want to add those guys? Ritsuko, no one but Shinji, Asuka, and Rei could even fight effectively against them! Sending anyone else would be suicidal!"

Ritsuko turns to glare at Major Katsuragi, missing the attack that the virtual Crimson Angel, Doragon, made when spreading its black flames out at Unit 03 and Unit 07, who retreat behind near buildings while Units 05 and 06 counterattack with their Crimson Angel weapons, Sarah pinning Doragon down from the sky and onto the ground while Kensuke fires a barrage of white energy blasts.

"Then give me a suggestion to get these kids stronger. At this point, all they're good for is supporting Units 00, 01 and 02. What would happen if they were heavily damaged and Varian showed up on our doorstep again?" Ritsuko snapped before sighing and looking away.

Misato frowns and sighs, "I understand what you mean. After all, they do need to get stronger…but why push them THAT hard?"

"How about this then, Misato," Ritsuko states in a flat voice. "We'll ask them if they're interested in fighting human-form Crimson Angels in the simulator or not."

"That's fair…" Misato mutters as she watches Unit 03 absorb the AT Field based flames into its axe before firing an Anti-AT Field sphere at the virtual Doragon, which blasts straight through his S2 Core, ending the battle. "I'll ask them then." She opens communications with the simulation pods. "Hey everyone, are you up for fighting virtual versions of the human-form Crimson Angels?"

"…Sure." Toji shrugs, "I'm sure we could probably match Shalock now that we have two more Crimson Angel weapons and I know what mine can do." He looks at the others through communication windows, "What do you all think?"

Hikari frowns slightly. "Well…I'm sure we might be able to pull it off now that we're more skilled."

"We'll be able to easily beat them now." Kensuke said with a smile.

Sarah looks down at the virtual version of Loriana's Gravity Staff. "…Yeah, I think we can pull it off now."

"Okay, I'll program them into the simulator in a few days, but until then, interested in facing another Angel?" Ritsuko asks curiously.

"Sure. Bring any of them on." Toji replies confidently.

Ritsuko shrugs, "Well, if that's the case…" She types rapidly on the controls in front of her and the simulation world is rebooted, everyone now stationed in the Geofront.

Misato raised her eyebrow, "Who will they be fighting?"

"Zeruel, the Angel of Strength."

* * *

Units 03, 05, 06, and 07 appeared in the Geofront and immediately noticed their Crimson Angel weapons were equipped, which was unusual (Except for Kensuke and Hikari, the former having the weapon attached to his arms while the latter doesn't have one, but her Eva-sized shield and Prog Spear were in her Eva's hands already.)

"So, who are we fighting anyways?" Kensuke asked curiously.

"Zeruel." Ritsuko replies calmly, causing the boy with glasses to groan. "If you can't even beat him, then you'll have no chance against the human-form Crimson Angels. Now get to work."

Just as she says this, a massive upside-down energy cross blasts down through the roof of the Geofront, the retracted building falling to the ground as the Evas took positions around the hole into the Geofront. The energy cross fades away and Zeruel floats down into the Geofront. Its appearance had be altered greatly, is now more resembles a beast, having red cloth-like appendages coming down from its body below and to either side of it. (Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 Version before it ate Unit 00)

"Whoa…is that Zeruel? It looks a lot different…" Kensuke says in a soft voice. "Guys, it uses powerful energy blasts and attacks with its arms, which extend a far distance in a short period of time…according to the battle report I read on him." He tells the other pilots. "It's AT Field is very powerful too, and no one could defeat him normally…even Shinji's Eva had to go into a berserker state in order to win."

Hikari raises an eyebrow, "How do you know all of this stuff?" She asks curiously.

Kensuke chuckles, "Researching the past can help deal with enemies in the present." He states happily, remembering he still needed to talk about the fact his mother's soul was inside the Evangelion. Every time he had the chance to talk with him about it, his lips shut before going to a different topic. Over the two months that passed after learning about the truth of the Evangelions, he slowly began to forget about it in favor of training his own skills. In fact, he had nearly forgotten about it until Unit 01 moved on its own after Unit 04 was destroyed. 'I really need to talk about this with him about this…'

Zeruel lands on the ground on his arms and legs, which were new additions to the Angel, before the cloth on his body compacts itself against his body, two of them targeting each of the Evangelion Units. Unit 07 quickly raises its shield and channels her AT Field into it. Unit 03 creates his AT Field absorption bubble around itself before putting his axe into a defensive position. Unit 05 readies his Crimson Angel weapon to fire an energy blast to counter Zeruel's attack. Unit 06 readies her spear, preparing to create a gravity field in front of the attack in order to dodge more easily.

Zeruel fires its cloth-like appendages out at the Evangelions at the same time. Unit 07 was blasted back by the force of the attack, falling to a kneeling position with a crack in her shield, causing Hikari's eyes to widen. 'This shield was equivalent to Gormarc's diamond spikes, but he cracked it this easily?'

Toji soon regretted trying to absorb the enemies' AT Field, as it was more of a physical attack rather than an AT Field based one. The two cloth-like appendages cut deeply into Unit 03's left knee and right shoulder. Toji gasps in pain, noticing the gauge on the axe filling slightly. Unit 05 fires a massive beam out at Zeruel the moment it lashed out at the Evas. At first, it appeared to work as the attack didn't reach him…but he couldn't see the attack coming as it shot through the energy beam and cut into his left side, but he managed to duck under the other cloth-like appendage in time, which barely missed his head.

Unit 06 created a gravity field into front of her, barely slowing the enemy down enough so Sarah could jump up into the air to evade the two cloth-like appendages. Zeruel turned to face Sarah's Eva before its eyes glow and it fires and energy cross at her. She barely has enough time to project an AT Field but that attack easily breaks through her AT Field and sends her flying until crashing into the ground. 'Damn, this is crazy…'

Zeruel turns to face Unit 07 next, compacting and firing four cloth-like appendages at the Eva. Hikari's eyes widen in shock as she attempts to block him with her AT Field-infused shield, blasting her into a nearby mountain with her shield top broken off and multiple cracks in the remaining shield, but the Eva itself is undamaged. Toji fires an Anti-AT Field sphere at Zeruel but it turns to face the attack and create a clear, rainbow-colored barrier in front of the attack, which blocks the sphere with ease before reflecting it back at Unit 03, who manages to jump to the right before his own attack hit him. Unfortunately, he was unprepared for Zeruel's counterattack, which fired its energy cross at the Evangelion, blasting him into the virtual pyramid of Nerv HQ.

Unit 05 fires a barrage of white energy blasts at Zeruel, who turns to face the attack before projecting an AT Field to shield itself from damage. Unit 06 creates a gravity field around Zeruel that's ten times stronger than Earth's normal gravity, slowing it down considerably but is otherwise unaffected. "You've got to be kidding me!" Sarah shouted as two of the cloth-like appendages compacted themselves and shot out at Unit 06, which dodges to the side before charging its AT Field into the spear and slashing downwards, firing an electromagnetic slash that cut through its cloth-like appendages before they could retract. "Ha!"

Zeruel is heard growling before the gravity field around it shatters to pieces from the force of its 360 degree AT Field before glowing with a red aura as it grew more cloth-like appendages, now having double the amount he start with. He lashed out its cloth-like appendages out at the Evangelions, who were forced to dodge or get hit with the force of four of them, which was easily able to break the equivalent of diamond.

* * *

"Is this entirely fair?" Misato demanded flatly, glaring at Ritsuko who just shrugs.

"Actually, it is fair. The enemy can't be defeated unless at least one of them has 300 sync, which could break through its AT Field." Ritsuko replies calmly.

* * *

Toji frowns, watching as the target just stays stationary after its attack rather than continue its barrage. "Hey Kensuke, let's try our combo." The jock suggested as the AT Field absorption sphere surrounds his Eva before Unit 05 fires a barrage of white energy blasts at Toji's Eva, which absorbs them until the gauge is full. "Okay, eat this you jackass!" Toji shouts before swinging his axe down. Before he could finish his attack, however, the enemy fires a massive energy blast at Unit 03. Toji had no time to react and couldn't even raise his AT Field absorption sphere, as the gauge was full.

Unit 03 was sent flying back before two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on its back and it flies into the air to get out of the energy blast before swinging its axe down again, firing a massive Anti-AT Field sphere at Zeruel. The Angel glares at the incoming attack and raises its rainbow-colored AT Field. The shockwave of the contact from Toji's attack and Zeruel's defense broke the ground under the Angel.

Units 05, 06 and 07 all glow with a golden radiance as two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on their back. Zeruel forces himself to keep its AT Field up and is unable to move at this point. Unit 03 continues floating there, trying to force his attack through Zeruel's AT Field.

"Sarah, create a gravity sphere in the air in the shape of an oval around my Prog Spear!" Hikari shouted before channeling her Eva's AT Field into it and throwing it into the air above her; a large, high-density gravity oval surrounds it. "Kensuke, fire everything you've got into that gravity field!" Hikari remembered how the force of the attack by Kensuke was magnified when compressed so heavily and she had an idea how to use that. Unit 07 discards the heavily damaged Eva-sized shield as it focuses on keeping the spear from being destroyed from the force of the gravity.

Unit 07 watches at Unit 05 fires a massive beam of energy into the gravity field above her. "Sarah, compress the attack into a stabilized form around the spear and lower it in front of me!" The gravity field compresses around the spear until it's only five feet from it. The force of the compression shatters the ground within 25 meters of it. The spear is now surrounded by a high-density gravity field and pure energy, dark purple with a white outline around it.

This was the hard part. Hikari, while keeping her Eva's original field up inside, created a second AT Field AROUND the gravity field and pure energy surrounding the Prog Spear. She gasps painfully from the strain of doing something like this…to contain the energy to this level. She knew the others were similarly strained from controlling their individual powers in balance. 'Come on…' Hikari thinks as she unconsciously taps into her OWN AT Field and stabilizes the AT Field surrounding the energy, now opaque and golden in color as she grabs it with her right hand.

Toji exhausts the remaining amount of energy he has and the Anti-AT Field sphere vanishes as he falls from the sky and crashes into the ground. Zeruel is about to attack but Hikari throws the Prog Spear straight at him, forcing him to face them and raise his AT Field. The force of the attack was even stronger than Toji's attack, and the shockwave of this attack causes highly-dense rainbow-colored energy streams to fire out of the tip diagonally away in a circular formation from the AT Field. The spear is now surrounded by a rainbow-colored aura as a large cracking sound is heard as Zeruel's AT Field shatters and the spear runs straight through its S2 Core and the iris-like protection around it like a hot knife through butter. When the S2 Core explodes, it forms a rainbow-colored energy cross before being compressed into a single point and vanishing.

* * *

Ritsuko gapes at the scene, as does Misato. "…Holy shit." The guardian of the first three Eva Pilot finally whispers out. "What was that?"

Ritsuko looks over the data on Maya's station, who is also shocked at the scene before her. "…The sheer concentration of the energy inside that weapon was strong enough to make the density ten times stronger than diamond…and the massive amount of energy is at least as powerful as an Eva with a sync of 500." She whispers in awe.

"How are the pilots?" Misato demanded.

Ritsuko glances at their life signs. "It looks like Toji is tired, but is mostly okay besides some sore muscles. Kensuke and Sarah were knocked out from the strain…but Hikari is conscious despite how much strain she had to deal with…" She looks at the data. "A two-layer AT Field…containing all of that energy perfectly like that-" Her eyes widen, "Wait, she used her own AT Field too!"

"What?" Misato rushed over to the computer and looked at the reading. She didn't understand most of it but the conclusion was shown plainly as day. Hikari used her OWN AT Field. "How could she even pull that off?"

"I don't know…but I think I'll look into this." Ritsuko muttered. "Maya, call the medical team to take Kensuke and Sarah to the hospital wing until they wake up."

"Understood." Maya replies as she puts on her headset and opens communications with the hospital inside Nerv HQ.

* * *

A/N: Frankly, that last attack was epic on so many levels, but very straining at the same time. I, myself, am in awe at how awesome that was. I also enjoyed having Asuka and Shinji get stronger in their own way and greatly enjoyed how Rei teased them. Anyways, see you next time!

Read and Review!


	42. The Fall of SEELE

A/N: Let's see…things will be getting interesting very soon. It's almost time to take the fight to Varian!

"Took you long enough…" Asuka mutters darkly, glaring at the author with annoyance. "Are you still trying to draw this story out to last fifty chapters?"

"Yup." Vanpat replies cheerfully, causing the redhead's expression to darken. "Don't worry, the next three chapters after this will be worth the wait…probably."

"'Probably?'" Sarah looked annoyed as well. "When will you bring Patrick back into the story?"

"Chapter 48." Vanpat replied blandly, "Don't complain about it either. I should have just left him dead but I left him alive on a whim."

"Kensuke, Sarah, and Hikari were awesome last chapter." Toji notes happily, cutting off either of the girls from retorting to the author's statement.

Hikari smiles and hugs Toji tightly, causing him to blush. "Thanks, Toji…" She whispers softly. "Um…author? When will my sisters make another appearance?" Hikari asks curiously.

"Hmm…I forgot about them, actually…" Vanpat admits ruefully. "I'll find a way to put them in this chapter."

"How about my talk with Shinji about what I learned in the Magi?" Kensuke asks quickly.

"I'll put it in this chapter as well." Vanpat replies, a little annoyed now. "Anything else I missed that you want to point out?"

Sarah pulls out a list, "Want the entire list?"

"No, so don't push your luck. Chapters 43-45 will be the fights with Darvin and Varian, Chapters 46-48 will be training and wrapping up any and all loose ends, Chapter 49 is the final battle, and Chapter 50 is the Epilogue."

"Two enemies, three chapters…you better not cut off in the middle of a battle at the end of a chapter, or we'll burn you at the stake." Asuka snapped.

"Trust me." Vanpat had an innocent expression on his face. "Hikari, your turn to read the disclaimer."

"Oh, right." Hikari faces the audience and smiles at them. "The author, Vanpat, does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion, but he does own some of the ideas he used in this story, as well as his OCs." She looks at Vanpat. "Was that okay?"

Vanpat claps, "Excellently done, Hikari. I wonder who I should have do the Disclaimer next time…" He frowns, "I guess I'll have Darvin do the next chapter…"

A/A/N: Also, as a Thanksgiving Treat to you all (You'd better be thankful!), I've decided to post two chapters at once! Enjoy!

* * *

Three Days Later…

Hikari sighs as she wanders around the wrecked city of Tokyo-03. She decided to take a walk by herself in the ruins of the city, avoiding the taped off parts where some workers were beginning to repair the city. Her goal was to check on her house, which she had not seen since before the battle of Tokyo-03 against Varian's Eva Series took place. Her detours around closed off areas and reconstruction sites takes her past a few places, such as the ruins of Misato's and Serena's apartments, the half damaged Middle School they were going to, until she finally reaches her own house.

She was moderately surprised to see it mostly intact and only a handful of wreckage had crushed the kitchen section of the house but the rest of it was intact. Hikari slowly walks up to it, wondering if it was safe enough to go into the house to get her belongings, when suddenly, she sees something that brings happiness to her heart. A young girl with pigtails that were a lighter shade of brown than Hikari's hair stood outside the front door wearing a school uniform. "Nozomi!" Hikari shouted happily before dashing up to the girl.

The girl turns around quickly with a broad smile on her face, her eyes the same shade of brown as Hikari's eyes. "Hikari!" She cheered before running up to and jumping into Hikari's arms. "I missed you a lot!" Nozomi whispers happily, tears streaming down her cheeks as she giggles.

Hikari wraps her arms around the girl. "I missed you too, Nozomi…" she whispers back, "How have you and Kodama been…and where is she?"

"Big sis is in the house getting my favorite stuffed animal and some other stuff." Nozomi replies cheerfully before smirking impishly at her. "So, how's your boyfriend." She teases her.

Hikari blushes, "Toji's fine…but why are you waiting outside and not helping Kodama?" She asked curiously, trying to change the subject.

"Kodama said it might not be completely safe so she wanted me to stay out here." Nozomi replies with a smile before cheering as a young woman, older than Hikari with hair lighter in color than Hikari's and it goes down a few inches past her shoulders, walks out of the open door of the house with a large teddy bear in one hand while her other hand holds a large black bag. Kodama's eyes were a lighter shade than Hikari's with a hint of blue coloration in them. She was wearing a navy blue shirt and a knee-length navy blue and white checkered skirt.

Hikari ran up to her and hugs her older sister tightly. "Kodama…" she whispered softly. "I've really missed you…"

Kodama smiles, gently putting down the large cylinder-shaped black bag and handing the large teddy bear to Nozomi, who rushed over to her as well and happily takes the bear and snuggles with it. The eldest sister hugs Hikari back gently, "It's been awhile, Hikari…" Kodama smiles down fondly at her.

After a few moments, Hikari releases her embrace. "What are you doing here?" She asks curiously.

"Well, I've decided to get our belongings out of our house before it totally collapses." Kodama smiles at Hikari. "I already cleaned most of our stuff out so this will be the last time I need to come back here." Her voice is sad as she says this. "Anyways, how have you and Toji been?"

Hikari smiles happily, "Great, actually." She hesitates, "I'm sorry that we wrecked the city." She apologizes.

Kodama shrugs absently, "It wasn't too bad. I saw some videos of people crazy enough to actually record the fighting. You were great out there, Hikari." She compliments her.

Hikari blushes, "Oh, thanks Kodama…" She hesitated, "Would you like to stay at Nerv? I'm sure they'd let you if I asked."

Nozomi smiles happily, "That's a great idea, Hikari!" She looks at Kodama. "Can we stay with Hikari? Please?"

Kodama chuckles softly, "Sorry Nozomi, but we have to finish getting everything together before we can even think about that." She smiles up at Hikari, "Thanks for the offer, but we can't take it quite yet. After all, there are plenty of other people who lost their homes and are living in the shelters. It wouldn't be very fair to them if we took the offer."

Nozomi pouts slightly and Hikari smiles fondly at her eldest sister. "You haven't changed much, Kodama…but at least reconsider, please?" The class rep gives her older sister puppy dog eyes.

Kodama giggles, "Okay Hikari…if you insist on it…just please stop with the puppy dog expression." She jokes before becoming serious. "I don't know what will happen next for you Hikari, but good luck with your fight against the Crimson Angels. You have both of our support, right Nozomi?"

Nozomi smiles and nods happily. "Yup. We'll definitely support Hikari in her fight against the bad guys!"

Hikari laughs gently, smiling at the both of them before embracing them both in a group hug. "Thanks you two…would you like to go to Nerv right now? They won't mind too much if I give you a tour."

Nozomi's eyes twinkle before looking at Kodama. "Please Kodama. I wanna see where Hikari lives now!"

Kodama sighs and runs her right hand through her hair. "Okay. We can go if you want Nozomi, but we can't stay long. We'll need to get our things packed before we can even think of moving to Nerv…and you'll need to ask for permission, Hikari."

"Of course." Hikari smiles before picking up the large black bag for Kodama. "I'll carry this for you." She winces slightly at the weight but holds it easily. "Let's go."

* * *

Kensuke was trying to find a way to talk with Shinji without Toji or Asuka finding out. It wasn't that he didn't trust Toji, but he wanted to talk with Shinji first. As for Asuka, she tended to be with Shinji most of the time, which would be an issue. After all, this was a sensitive topic. Finally, the perfect opportunity presented itself.

"I'm going to go look for Hikari." Toji states calmly, "She's been gone for a couple of hours and even Asuka doesn't know where she went." He walks over to the door of his and Kensuke's room and opens it. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay Toji." Kensuke replies, glad that he gave him the perfect opportunity at last. Toji nods before leaving the room and closing the door behind himself. The Eva Pilot waits for about a minute before standing up and opening the door. The hallway was empty. 'Yes!' He exits the room and closes the door behind himself before walking down the hallway, praying that Asuka wasn't with Shinji again. He knocks on Shinji's door, finding it somewhat odd that the Third Child had his own room while the rest of the pilots had to share with another.

There was no response so Kensuke tried again. "Hey Shinji, are you in there?" He knew there was a possibility that Shinji wasn't there, but trying to find Shinji in the Geofront would be next to impossible.

The door opens and Shinji stares out curiously at Kensuke with an MP3 player in his right hand with two earpieces hanging down from it. "Oh, hi Kensuke. Sorry if I didn't respond sooner, but my music tunes out the sound of knocking."

"It's okay. Can I talk with you for a bit?"

Shinji nods, "Sure." He steps out of the doorway to let Kensuke in, which enters gratefully and sits on one of the beds in the room. Shinji closes the door and sits on his own bed, staring at Kensuke. "Is something wrong?"

Kensuke hesitated, "Well…remember that Crimson Angel that hacked into the Magi?" Shinji nods so the Eva Pilot continues, "While the program was uploading, I decided to look into the database. Just out of curiosity, of course." He added hastily.

Shinji frowns, having a feeling where this might be going. "Did you find something that made you uneasy? I noticed your sync score went down for a few weeks after that happened."

He blinks with surprise. 'I didn't think Shinji was this perceptive…' Kensuke thinks to himself before replying. "Yes…but I forgot about it until just recently. I wanted to talk with you about it before anyone else, because you've been piloting longer than anyone else and I trust you more than Rei or Asuka."

"It has to do with the Evas, right?" Shinji asks softly, realizing his hunch was correct. Kensuke nods hesitantly but before he can reply, Shinji continues. "Was it the fact that the Evas were made with Angel DNA…or the fact that in order to synchronize with the Eva, the soul of the Pilot's mother is needed?"

Kensuke sighs, "Yeah…so you knew already, huh?" He looked slightly depressed. "How long did you know…and why didn't you tell me? Aren't we friends?"

Shinji closes his eyes, "I figured it out before Third Impact…but I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would react badly about it. Both the fact we were using the power of the Angels against the Angels and the sad truth that the pilot's mother is in the Eva Unit."

"Wait, what about Rei? I noticed that…well…" Kensuke hesitates again, unsure how to phrase this accurately. While still in shock about the Evas, he decided to look into the Dummy Plug system to get his mind off of it but discovered a bigger shock. Rei wasn't completely human.

The Third Child stares at Kensuke. "You found out about Rei too, huh?" The Sixth Child just nods ruefully. "Now you see why I watched her a lot in school."

"…She has both Angel DNA and your own mother's DNA in her…" Kensuke mutters softly. "That's crazy."

"Yeah…I know what you mean. I think she reminded me of my mother." Shinji sighs, "Do you still want to pilot Eva after all of this?" He already knew the answer.

"Of course. There might be a way to help my mom out of that Eva." Kensuke grinned slightly, "After all, you went through the same problem with Unit 01 right?"

Shinji chuckles, "You read about that too?" Kensuke smiles and nods, "Geez, how much data did you look at?"

"A lot of it." Kensuke admits ruefully.

Suddenly, the door opens and Asuka looks into the room. "Hey Shinji…and stooge." Kensuke glares at her but decides not to retort. "Shinji, are you busy?"

Shinji frowns and glances at Kensuke who shakes his head. "No, I'm free right now."

"Good, because we're stuck training with Rei again." She grumbles sourly before entering the room and glancing at Kensuke. "So what are you doing here Kensuke?"

"Just talking with Shinji about some stuff is all." He responds in a flat voice before rising to his feet, walking to the door, and leaving the room.

Asuka raises an eyebrow before staring curiously at the Third Child. "Anything important?"

Shinji sighs, "Nothing that big, Asuka. Let's get the training out of the way for the day."

* * *

Toji walks towards the eastern exit of Nerv HQ, planning to look for Hikari out in the city of Tokyo-03…or rather, the ruins of Tokyo-03. It seemed like the only place she would go. He stares at one of the access doors and is just about to slide his keycard into the scanner when the door in front of him suddenly opens, revealing Hikari and two other girls with similar appearances. Toji blinks in surprise, recognizing all three of them. "Hikari? Nozomi? Kodama?"

Nozomi rushes past her two older sisters with great speed before stopping in front of Toji. "Hey Hikari's boyfriend." She teases him.

"My name is Toji…" He mutters with a blush on his face as Hikari, who is also blushing, and Kodama, who has an amused expression on her face, enters after her. "Where did you go, Hikari?"

"My house. I found Kodama and Nozomi taking out our valuables from the house and invited them to stay in Nerv…after they finish getting everything packed from the shelter they're staying at." Hikari replies with a smile. "I'll have to ask Commander Ikari if it's alright though."

"Good luck with that." Toji jokes before smiling at her two sisters. "I'm glad both of you are doing well."

Kodama shrugs, a smile on her face. "Yeah…you've gotten more handsome Toji. Hikari, would you mind if-"

"No." Hikari snapped flatly, his face red from anger and embarrassment. "I'm NOT sharing him with you or anyone else."

Kodama laughs softly, causing both Hikari and Toji to blush deeply. "I see why Nozomi enjoys teasing you, Hikari. Your reactions are priceless."

Nozomi giggles, "Yup!"

Toji turns away from the two girls but his blush doesn't decrease. 'Do they always have to do that?'

"Toji, can you keep an eye on them while I ask permission for them to stay here?" Hikari asks Toji but gives him no chance to reply as she runs off, her own face burning red in color.

Kodama chuckles softly, "Now that she's gone, could we have a chat with you, Toji?"

"Um, a chat?" Toji asked nervously.

"Oh, calm down. I just have a little request." Kodama smiles at the jock. "Hikari obviously loves you a great deal, so don't break her heart by getting yourself killed while fighting, okay?"

Toji nods, "Of course. I promise."

"Good." Kodama smirks impishly at him. "So, how far have you two gone?" Toji had a feeling this would be a long (and embarrassing) day for him until Hikari returned.

* * *

Commander Ikari stared flatly at the Eighth Child as she made her request in his office. Normally, the foolishness of this request would immediately spur him to say no, but he did want any of the pilots to be worried about loved ones. Unlike Toji and Kensuke's fathers, who had adequate resources to come back from the destruction of Tokyo-03, Hikari's sisters did not.

Hikari phrased her request carefully and calmly, finishing with- "After all, it wouldn't be a major strain on your resources and I'd feel more at ease if they were safe."

"Very well." Commander Ikari states flatly.

"R-Really?" Hikari was estatic at his response. "Oh, thank you so much, Commander Ikari!" She bows.

The phone in his desk begins to ring and he stares flatly at her. "Leave before I change my mind." Hikari decided to not press her luck and quickly ran out of the room.

Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki stares at Ikari with a curious expression as he picks up the phone. "That was unlike you, Ikari." He notes.

"Speak." Ikari states in a cold voice, ignoring Fuyutsuki's comment.

"Ah, Commander Ikari."

Ikari's eyes narrow. "How did you get this number?"

"I've spied on Nerv and SEELE for this long and you're surprised?" Kaji jokes on the other end, holding a cell phone to his ear and staring at the metal doorway fifty meters away as it lightly snows. "I'm a spy, remember?"

Gendo chooses not to comment on that. "Did you track SEELE down?"

"Even better, actually. Not only did I track them down, but I had the Magi of the Nerv Branches in Berlin and Hamburg hack into their database and take every bit of data they had." Kaji notes blandly. "I also made sure to cut off any and all escape routes out of their hiding place in the Alps. Just send the word and I'll tell Section 2 to move in and arrest them."

Ikari actually smiles, "This is good news, Kaji. I'm glad you're on our side."

"Same here. So, want me to send them in now?"

Gendo Ikari, Supreme Commander of Nerv, smirks. "Do it. Make sure to drag them in front of the U.N. and point out it was because of my actions that they were captured."

Kaji laughs, "Looking for some fame, Commander Ikari?" He jokes before becoming serious. "You do know we could just drag them all to you in secret rather than hand them over to the U.N."

"True, but I'd prefer getting on the U.N.'s good side for once." Ikari notes, "Good hunting." He hangs up.

* * *

Kaji shrugs and hangs up on his end, pocketing the cell phone before pulling out his pistol, turning the safety off, and turning his headset radio on. "The Big Wig was given us permission to go Soul catching. Don't let them get away now." Two agents dressed in white clothing, which allowed them to easily blend in with the fallen snow, sneak up to the doorway. One of them shoots the camera, holding a gun with a silencer, while the other places a package of C4. Both of them retreat from the doorway before the package explodes, creating a large opening in the metal doorway. "Move in!" Kaji, along with two dozen agents, storm into SEELE HQ.

After entering the compound, Kaji immediately noticed two guards pointing machine guns at them. He wastes no time in firing a round of bullets at the two of them. His second shot hits one of the guards in the head while his fifth hits the other guard in the shoulder. "Remember to take SEELE alive!" Kaji shouted as more guards ran out from the side corridors only to be shot by Section 2 agents.

Within five minutes, two of his Section 2 agents were dead and seven were injured but fifteen of SEELE's were dead. "Okay, split up and hunt them down!" Kaji ordered, all of the Section 2 agents scattering into groups of three while the injured bandaged up their wounds. "Rest here until you feel up to searching as well." He nods at the injured men before walking down the central corridor, replacing his empty clip with a new one.

Thanks to hacking into their database, Kaji and the Section 2 agents knew the layout of this base as well as SEELE did. Kaji's target wasn't any of the normal SEELE members. He was after Keel Lorenz, SEELE 01, and leader of the entire organization. He remembered a strange conversation with a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, who told him to wait until the battle in Tokyo-03 was over before making his move. He had doubts but the woman pointed out that SEELE would take an offensive act as betraying them and they'd cancel the truce with Ikari. Kaji started believing her after she used some kind of gravity field to crush the snow around him.

Kaji eventually learn that woman was a human-form Crimson Angel, Loriana, who decided to betray Varian and help Nerv. He shakes his head, 'I'll think about that later. Right now, I have to find Keel.' The sound of the safety of a gun turning off caught his attention and he quickly ducking behind a corridor, barely evading machine gun fire from one of SEELE's guards. 'Geez, I should have brought something heavier than a pistol…but I AM more skilled with it.' He points his gun at the ceiling light in the central hallway and shoots it, darkening the area around him. Kaji pulls out a small mirror connected to a stick and inches it out into the hallway between a break between the machine gun bullets.

He smiles as he sees the SEELE guard reloading his gun. He mentally calculates the angle to himself before points his pistol into the hallway and pulling the trigger. His bullet goes into the guard's right shoulder, causing him to clutch it painfully with his left hand and dropping his machine gun. Kaji dashes into the hallway and kicks the gun out of his range before pointing his pistol at his head. "Hello there. Mind if we have a little chat?"

The young man glares up at Kaji with anger in his eyes. "That depends what you want to know." He spat out.

"Ah good, you know Japanese." Kaji stated blandly. "I'm curious where Keel is. He's an old friend of mine."

"I rather doubt it…" The young man mutters before feeling the barrel of Kaji's gun press against his head now. "Okay, wait…Keel said something about the meeting room." He admits quickly. "So don't shoot me."

Kaji sighs, "Figures. I thought he'd be there or his room but it seems he wants to make his last stand there, huh?" He looks down at the guard. "Put your hands behind your head and lean against the wall."

The guard winces painfully as he does so, the bullet wound hurting more at this position. Kaji activates his radio. "This is Kaji to Fallen Wings. Get over to sector five now. I've got a captured guard."

"Understood." The gruff voice replies before Kaji turns the radio off.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'm handcuffing you and leaving you here. Cooperate with the Section 2 agents and we'll let you go after this." Kaji states calmly before pulling out handcuffs and pushing the guard's chest against the wall, handcuffing his hands behind his back before tripping him up, causing the man to fall onto his back.

"Fine…" The young man mutters, "All I was ever doing was following orders anyways. Need a map of this place?"

"Nope. I've got one here." Kaji points to his head with his free hand before picking up the machine gun the guard had. "Hmm, I think I'll hold onto this. Seeya!" He chuckles as the spy moves deeper into the base.

* * *

Kaji smiles faintly as the radio announces 11 out of the 12 members of SEELE were accounted for. Only Keel was left now. He stares at the door into the meeting room, ignoring the now dead guards (thanks to his new machine gun). He checks the ammo clip and sighs when it's empty. 'I should have taken a clip of ammo from that guy…' He thinks to himself before discarding the machine gun. Kaji had the temptation to take another machine gun from one of the fallen guards, but he wanted to CATCH Keel, not kill him. His accuracy with the pistol was nearly perfect, unlike the machine gun, meaning he could easily cripple Keel with his pistol.

The spy takes out his clip and puts in a new one, despite only two bullets missing from the other clip. 'Let's go!' He thinks to himself before activating the door controls and dashing into the room. The room was filled with twelve solid stone monoliths with SEELE 01-12 carved into them, the letters glow a bright red color. He hides behind SEELE 07 monolith and shoots the controls of the door with four of his bullets, preventing any chance of Keel escaping.

"I know you're in here, Keel!" Kaji shouted before pulling out his half-empty clip and putting in the one with six bullets left.

"Ah, so it's you." Keel is heard remarking in a flat voice from SEELE 01 monolith. Kaji dashes from behind the SEELE 07 monolith to the SEELE 06 monolith, firing two bullets at the SEELE 01 monolith. "You'll have to do better than that." Keel's voice taunts from every monolith this time.

Kaji swears, "So you're not even in here." He was about to move out from behind the monolith before two gunshots ring out, hitting the floor where he was about to walk on, causing him to jump back to his previous position.

"Does that answer your question?" Keel taunts, his voice resonating throughout the room. "I'm merely using this room to my advantage. I thought you might come alone, so I prepared this trap for you."

"Heh, what's wrong? Can't just have me shot face to face like before Third Impact instead?" Kaji shouted as he fires blindly into the monolith opposite of the one he's hiding behind. He hears the sound of running, meaning he guessed where Keel was hiding correctly.

"Oh no. You let my assassin kill you." Keel states in a flat voice. "I know for a fact you could have easily won against him, but you let yourself die."

Kaji chuckles as three bullets hit the monolith he's hiding behind. "I'm flattered, Keel." The spy smirks before dashing from behind the SEELE 06 monolith, firing bullets between the monoliths until he reaches the SEELE 01 monolith. "But that won't save you from facing the U.N."

"Oh?" Keel sounds curious, "I thought Ikari would want to deal with me personally instead."

"Oh, he does." Kaji chuckles as he reloads his pistol, "He's just trying to get on the U.N.'s good side right now."

"I see…" The faint sound of a panel sliding open is heard. Kaji's eyes widen before he quickly dashes through the center of the room and behind SEELE 07's monolith, wincing as his right leg is shot before his left trips Keel off his feet. The spy shoots the gun out of Keel's hand. "Damn you…" He growls.

"Huh, I had no idea there was a secondary panel." Kaji notes blandly, briefly glancing at the secondary door controls that were hidden on the other side of the doorway. Below it was a button that blended in very effectively with the wall, which would open or close the metal covering the secret doorway panel.

"Tch…" Keel reaches for the gun but a gunshot hits an inch from Keel's head.

"I wouldn't try that." He taunts before turning his radio on. "This is Kaji to Black Knight. The last Soul is captured. Get over to the gathering hall."

"We'll be there shortly." A young man's voice responds before Kaji turns the radio off again.

"I see…interesting code names." Keel mutters, "SEELE is German for 'soul'…how unimaginative."

"I noticed that name wasn't very imaginative." Kaji taunts, pointing the pistol at Keel.

"I thought Morlina would erase your memory of the base location…"

"Ah, yes. She did do that, but the memories came back after she died." Kaji replies airily before the door opens from the other side, revealing three of the Section 2 agents. "Perfect timing, you three. Handcuff him."

They nod, two of the grabbing each of his arms and dragging Keel to his feet while the third cuts handcuffs on him. "Keel, under the orders of the U.N., you are under arrest." Kaji smirks, obviously enjoying himself immensely. "Care to hear the charges?" Keel just glared flatly at him so he decided to continue with a gleeful expression. "Let's see…crimes against humanity, oh you got that charge twice…once for Second Impact and once for Third Impact. Inhumane acts, mass-murder of civilians, attempted theft, sabotage of a high-level security base, billions worth of property damage…"

"Wait one minute." Keel growls, "I wasn't responsible for-"

"Your experiments with Second Impact caused the Angels to wake up, hence the property damage. You manipulated the U.N. forces to send the JSSDF to kill everyone in Nerv and take the Evas Units, hence the attempted theft and mass-murder. You also directed the creation of the Eva Units and used the souls of humans to counter the Angel's AT Field, that's the inhumane acts charge…Should I continue?" Kaji grins. "Either way, the charges will be repeated in front of the U.N."

"I helped you fight the Crimson Angels!" Keel snapped angrily.

"Yes, you did. You'll lose a few years in prison, but you'll be dead before half of your sentence is over." Kaji notes. "Take him away." The three Section 2 agents drag Keel away, ignoring his protests. After they are out of earshot, Kaji pulls out his cell phone and dials it. "Did you enjoy that, Ikari?"

"Yes." Commander Ikari replies with a smile. "I'm impressed that you installed a mini-camera into your headset and managed to transmit the scene all the way to Nerv HQ."

"Yeah. It was a bit tedious transmitting it through multiple places first but it worked out, huh?" Kaji chuckles, "I'll escort Keel and the other SEELE members to the U.N. before heading back to Japan."

"Very well." Ikari closes the connection on his end.

Kaji smirks as he closes his cell phone and walks after Keel and the Section 2 agents, whistling a song to himself.

* * *

A/N: That was moderately amusing, huh? SEELE is finally taken into custody, so that loose end is now tied up. Only the threat of the Crimson Angels now remains. Let's see how that turns out next time.

Read and Review!


	43. Fly Me to the Moon

A/N: Okay! The epic three part battle against the Crimson Angels will soon take place. Let's stop stalling and move onto the main event, shall we?

Asuka glares at him, "You named the chapter 'Fly Me to the Moon?' What the hell?"

"Hey, it sounded accurate." Vanpat mutters. "You guys will all be heading to the Crimson Angel base, which is on the Moon, by the end of this chapter."

"You're lucky you don't get Copyright Infringement for using a song name." She pointed out flatly.

"It's a song name?" Vanpat looked surprised. "I had no idea…wow."

"Stop lying through your teeth." Sarah snaps in a flat voice. "You saw it on the Wikipedia site."

"Fine, I knew it was a song name, happy? Also, Darvin can't do the Disclaimer this chapter so I'll have Kaji do it." Vanpat looks at the spy. "Need your lines?"

"Nope, I already looked at them ahead of time." Kaji pulls out Vanpat's script, causing his eyes to widen. "You really need a better safe combination." He notes blandly.

Vanpat growls and takes the script back. "Fine, just say the disclaimer…"

"Okay, okay." Kaji chuckles before facing the audience. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion or 'Fly Me to the Moon.' All he owns is the plotline and his characters."

* * *

Kaji had a triumphant smirk on his face as he shoved Keel (currently handcuffed) into the U.N. assembly hall. All of the members turn in their seats to glare at the man who was the cause of everything from Second Impact to Third Impact. The remaining members of SEELE shuffle nervously into the room after Kaji shoved Keel inside, also handcuffed and watched over by six Section 2 agents. "Commander Ikari decided to send you a gift." Kaji remarks airily, noticing the representative from Switzerland was at the podium, obviously acting as a temporary Secretary-General until a new one could be chosen. "Sorry about the state they're in, by the way. I'm guessing you'd like to have their trial here?"

The representative from Switzerland chuckles, "An unofficial trial, perhaps." He noted before glaring at Keel. "It's been awhile Keel."

"…I have nothing to say to you." Keel Lorenz replies in a flat voice, glaring back at him.

"Perhaps, but I knew your true colors the moment I first saw you." He growls, "You six, bring in a dozen chairs and some rope." The six Section 2 agents nod and immediately leave. "Your name is Kaji, correct?" He stares at the spy, who just nods. "You should stay as a guest for this meeting. Inform Commander Ikari that we will be recording this trial and the official one in a couple of weeks." He smiles faintly, "I'm sure the Commander of Nerv will enjoy watching the results of this."

"Will do." Kaji smirks.

* * *

Within the week, Kaji returned in Nerv HQ and gave Commander Ikari a copy of the recording of SEELE's unofficial trial. The official trial would be no different in results, but it would add a legal air to the decision. "I bring to you the fruits of war." Kaji stated in a grandiose voice as he handed a CD containing the recording of SEELE's unofficial trial to Commander Ikari, who smiles gratefully.

"Excellent work, Kaji," He stated calmly as he takes the CD, "How many years was Keel sentenced to?"

"Hmm, about five life sentences. I'm curious how he'll live long enough to complete them." Kaji chuckles before walking to the door. "So, did I miss anything big while I was away?"

"We're going to commence the attack on the Crimson Angel's base of operations in five days at 8:00 AM sharp." Commander Ikari responds in a monotone voice. "Soon, Varian will be dead. Pity I cannot drag him in front of the U.N. as well, but he's far too dangerous to be captured."

"I'd imagine so. Mind if I leave?" Kaji asks.

"Feel free." Ikari notes calmly, obviously happy at the moment considering how well things are going now.

"Thanks, and enjoy the recording of the trial!" Kaji chuckles as he leaves the room.

* * *

Misato stares at the children's sync score with amazement, every single pilot in a simulation pod and fighting a virtual Unit-S01 in combat. Everyone's sync was 100 or greater. She knew they were holding back their full power until they really needed it, which was a good idea in order to improve their own personal skills.

"They're doing very well today." Ritsuko notes calmly, noticing a white aura around Unit 00, which has two diamond-shaped AT Field wings that were white in color. "And Rei is teaching those two how to use their AT Fields while in a combat situation too." She glances at Units 01 and 02, noticing the former had a faint purple aura around it while at latter has a bright red aura around it. Both of their wings were tinted with a faint color other than the usual coloration, but it wasn't enough.

"So, how much of an advantage will this give them?" Misato asks curiously.

"Fully mastered and at just 100 sync would give them the equivalent of 200 sync in power." Ritsuko notes, "Basically, it doubles their power."

"Seriously?" Misato looked surprised. "So, if they fully mastered it and had a sync of 300, they'd be stronger than their normal six-winged form that has 500 sync?"

"That's right." Ritsuko chuckles, "An odd thing I noticed when Rei used this while in 500 sync form is that it didn't rise above 999 sync." She frowns slightly, "It's almost like something was holding it back."

"What could one point matter, Ritsuko?" Major Katsuragi demanded.

"That 'one' point separated Unit 00 from 1,000 sync, which would be equivalent to Godhood." Doctor Akagi stated in a flat voice. "The armor didn't hold the Evangelion back. It's almost like the Eva itself held back that one point…or maybe something was missing."

Misato stares at her curiously. "I have a question. Did you ever find out what Varian's sync was at his best in Unit-S01?"

Ritsuko frowns and nods, "I think so. According to the data gathered in the fight, Varian had the equivalent of a sync of 999."

Misato swears, "No wonder he tore us apart so easily. Can we win against him with our Evangelions?"

Ritsuko stares at the battle onscreen, watching as Unit-S01 reaches a sync of 999 as the Sunlight is blocked. "If they can win against this simulation version of Unit-S01, then there's a good chance they can win against Varian himself."

"Well, let's hope they can pull it off then…" Misato frowns slightly, "I heard that SEELE was captured and their entire database was downloaded."

"That's right." Ritsuko chuckles, "Kaji did pretty well out there, huh?"

"Yeah…" Misato whispers softly, a look of longing in her eyes from hearing Kaji's name before her expression becomes curious, "Could we create those Lance copies for our Eva Units?"

Ritsuko blinks with surprise. "That's a good idea, actually." She replied softly, "I think I'll ask Commander Ikari about it."

"Do that. I think Rei's 'Judgment' attack she pulled off against Unit-S01 was impressive enough to try it again." Misato notes.

"True, but we need to end this war soon…so I don't think we'll have enough time to create that many." Doctor Akagi pointed out.

"Hey you two." Kaji chuckles as her wraps his arms around Misato's chest from behind. "How are the kids doing?" Misato stomped her foot down on his, forcing him to let go. "Ouch, no need to be so rough." He complained.

"If you want a lover quarrel, save it for when I'm not around. Kaji, take a look for yourself." Ritsuko motions the spy over, who whistles after seeing the scores.

"Nice job, Major Katsuragi. You did a good job raising those kids." Kaji compliments her. "Anyways, how about we go out for a drink tonight Misato?"

"No thanks, I'm trying to cut back." Misato replies with a smile. The two of them stare with shock on their faces at the Major. "What's with you guys?" She demanded.

"Who are you and what have you done with Misato?" Ritsuko demanded.

"Hey, I'm trying to cut back on the stuff. Blame the influence of those kids…and that bird." Misato grumbles, remembering how Pen Pen has occasionally started drinking more beer than SHE has been. This actually shocked her a great deal, considering her own personal habits in drinking beer.

Upon looking back to recent events, she started cutting back a bit around Chivalt because she wanted a clear head during the battle. Afterwards, she realized just have efficient she actually WAS without so much alcohol in her system and decided to keep up the habit of cutting back on the beer every so often. She did, however, continue her habit of drinking a can of beer in the morning, much to Shinji and Asuka's annoyance, so they didn't even notice her cutting back. "Besides, where would be go out?" Misato pointed out flatly, "The city is in ruins, remember?"

"Ah, but the bar in the upper level of the Geofront is still intact, right?" Kaji counters, having visited it briefly on his way to Commander Ikari's office.

"No thanks, Kaji." Misato chuckles, "How about you watch the battle the children are fighting?"

"Eh, I think I'll pass. Besides, they look like they're handling their own quite well." Kaji notes, watching as Kensuke firing a barrage of white energy blasts at the sky while Sarah creates Anti-Gravity sphere around them to try to disperse the clouds, successfully allowing the Sunlight in and weakening Varian's Eva Unit.

Ritsuko looks slightly annoyed. "They'll never get better if they don't fight that virtual Eva Unit at its best."

"True, but that was a good idea they had." Misato pointed out as Kaji walked away. "If they used it in their battle against Varian, they might have won more easily." She stares at Ritsuko. "Did you ever get around to using that tail spike or those feathers from that ice bird Crimson Angel?"

Ritsuko nods, "Things have been quite chaotic recently so I forgot about it until after the battle with Varian's Eva Series." She pulls up a visual of the blueprints of a modified Heavy Prog Sword. "Asuka has been whining a great deal about not getting a Crimson Angel weapon so I've had a Heavy Prog Sword created from Hyoragon's tail and feathers." Ritsuko shrugs, "I didn't get around to programming it into the simulator though."

"What about Hikari and Rei?" Misato asks curiously.

"Rei will get a Lance of Longinus copy and…well, I haven't thought of a weapon to create for Hikari yet." Ritsuko admitted ruefully. "She'll be okay with her shield though."

"I guess…" Misato muttered. "Hopefully the Crimson Angels will have decent weapons rather than cheap garbage."

* * *

Darvin breathes heavily, using his battle staff as a cane and looking over the black armor pieces that are inset with crimson runes. Lord Varian appears out of thin air and stares at the armor. If put completely together, it would fully cover and create a replica of Unit-S01. "Excellent work. Is my Crimson Angel weapon also done with its modifications?"

Darvin nods, "Of course. Unit-S01's Absolute Territory Shield was also rebuilt for you to use with the Shadow of Sammael…but what will you use as a weapon?"

Varian smirks and stares up at the long red spear that is sealed behind a reinforced glass chamber. "The Lance of Longinus," He stated simply.

Darvin's eyes widen before he nods, "I understand. Also…it seems SEELE was captured by Ikari. All of their data was taken and they're now in a nice prison cell." He chuckles darkly. "Truly, it's just what they deserve."

"No. Their time will come with their deaths. Hellfire will torture their souls for all eternity." Varian growls before looking at a clock with a countdown on it. "I see. They'll be here in about five days…One way or another; the time for Sammael's unsealing will come at last." He vanishes into thin air.

* * *

Needless to say, the virtual version of Unit-S01 was as difficult as the real thing, if not harder. Shinji and Asuka, despite the difficulty of this foe, were slowly grasping the basics of using their AT Fields with their Eva Units. However, despite that…

Sarah swears angrily, "We've lost twice already! That bastard didn't use that shield of his when he fought us before!"

…They STILL couldn't beat him.

"Stop complaining." Ritsuko snapped. "Frankly, I'm having you fight that Eva at its best. Do you really think Varian's shadow demon won't use a shield and weapon as well?"

Sarah bites back a retort, watching as the simulation world restarts itself. It didn't help that Doctor Akagi was right, however. All of the Evas were fully repaired and equipped with their usual weapons. Unit 00 held a Lance of Longinus copy, Unit 01 was equipped with Chivalt's sword, Unit 02 held a Heavy Prog Sword, Unit 03 had Revalt's axe in his hands, Unit 05 was equipped with Shalock's crosses and a machine gun, Unit 06 swung her Gravity Spear (compliments of Loriana) to the side, and Unit 07 held her Eva-sized shield in her left hand and a Prog Spear in her right.

The arena of choice was the ruins of Old Tokyo, which was no longer submerged. Unit-S01 held the same sword it used against Chivalt in his right hand while his left arm has a large energy pentagram on it. "Shall we begin, you brats?" Varian's voice taunts.

"You know, I've heard that three times already." Asuka states in a flat voice. "I really want to punch that guy's face in."

"Agreed…" Sarah grumbles before channeling her AT Field into her Gravity Spear. "Hikari, let's try that rainbow spear move against him."

The Eighth Child shakes her head. "I don't think the real Varian would give us the opportunity…and even if he did, he'd just dodge the attack. That move is too draining to use in actual combat."

Unit-S01's wings open up and a barrage of missiles fire out at the Eva Units. Sarah rolls her eyes before crushing the missiles in individual gravity fields, suppressing the explosion. The Seventh Child frowns, realizing her skill with her weapon had increased greatly from fighting this guy twice in a row. At first, she just made large gravity fields to destroy the missiles all at once…but now, she was creating multiple small fields, which preserved her energy and produced the same results.

Sarah noticed something weird with Unit 01's sword. At first, she agreed with Shinji's belief that the sword's ability was the ability to magnify his own AT Field with the sword…but over time, she noticed something was off with that idea. It almost seemed that his sword was growing stronger with each opponent Unit 01 fought against. The sword Unit 01 was using in the simulator was the one programmed in, not the real sword Chivalt once wielded, so she actually could now tell the difference now. It wasn't anything big, but instead it was just a feeling. 'Does it have a second ability?'

Unit 06 raises her AT Field to block an energy blast fired by Unit-S01 before Toji moved between them and absorbed the attack with his axe's AT Field absorption sphere. He smirks before firing a barrage of small golden Anti-AT Field spheres at Unit-S01, which raises its left arm and projects a clear, crimson colored barrier that absorbs the attacks and reflects them back at the Eva Units.

"Stop trying to help, you idiot!" Asuka snapped angrily, remembering that in the first simulation he fired a massive Anti-AT Field sphere at Unit-S01, who just absorbed it before reflecting it back, taking out Unit 03, as well as Units 02 and 07.

"Sorry!" Toji shouted before Unit 07 rushes up next to him and Toji places Unit 03's right hand against her shield before projecting his Eva's AT Field in unison with Unit 07's AT Field, successfully blocking his own reflected attack with Hikari's help. "Thanks Hikari."

"Your welcome…but don't try that move again." Hikari smiles fondly at her boyfriend through the communication window before closing it.

"All we have to do is get him out of that form and we don't need to deal with that shield anymore!" Sarah shouted as she created multiple high-density gravity wells in his knees and elbows, breaking his arm and legs off of his clawed hands and feet.

"DON'T SCREW WITH ME!" Varian roars as two of the three sixes on his right hand glow blood red as Unit-S01 is surrounded by a crimson cross before tripling in size and growing twelve blood red demonic wings.

"Oh great, he skipped the second stage and went straight to the third." Asuka mutters darkly. The battle itself was divided into three stages. The first one was the Eva Unit itself when it used technology like rockets and laser cannons, as well as its shield. The second stage was when one of the sixes on the simulation Varian's right hand glows blood red and Unit-S01 doubles in size. It discards the technology and armor used in favor of demonic power. Stage three causes it to become triple its normal height and it grows twelve blood red demonic wings, symbolizing its immense power. Two of the three sixes on the virtual Varian's right hand also glow blood red in color.

"Sarah, what the hell were you thinking?" The redhead demanded angrily. "You didn't need to go THAT far!" Unit 02 grows four diamond-shaped AT Field wing on its back. Units 00, 01, and 03 follow suite and grow four diamond-shaped AT Field wings on their backs as well.

Sarah snorts, "The way I see it, the quicker he loses that shield, the better off we are." She shrugs, "Sorry about overdoing it though." Her Eva grows two diamond-shaped AT Field wings on her back, Kensuke and Hikari doing the same. None of them wanted to fight Unit-S01 when it was at this level with lower than a sync of 300.

Unit-S01 opens its mouth and fires a barrage of fireballs at the Evangelion Units. Unit 00 charges its AT Field into the Lance copy and spins it in front of her, blocking it with the least amount of energy required. Units 01 and 02 work together to create a powerful AT Field that successfully blocks the fireballs. Unit 03 uses his AT Field absorption sphere to block the storm of fireballs and retaliates with a massive Anti-AT Field sphere, which obliterates its legs, four of its wings, and its tail. Unit 05 counters with a barrage of white energy blasts from his Crimson Angel weapon while Unit 06 does the same with gravity fields. Unit 07 merely infuses her AT Field into the shield and blocks the fireballs with that method.

Unit-S01 screams in pain before its lower body slowly begins to regenerate, a malevolent aura surrounding its body. "Nice shot, Toji!" Asuka shouted before flying at the enemy with her Eva's AT Field charged into her Heavy Prog Sword.

Unit 01 flies along side Asuka, his own AT Field charged into Chivalt's blade. "Let's get him, Asuka." Shinji smiles with a bright purple aura around his body and two angelic wings on his back, his AT Field in sync with his Eva's. His Eva is surrounded by a purple aura, his AT Field wings bright purple as well.

Asuka smiles back and nods, a bright red aura around her body and two angelic wings on her back as Unit 02 is also surrounded by a red aura, the AT Field wings the same color as the aura. "Yeah!"

Rei's eyes widen in shock. 'In a single instant…they both pulled it off…' She thought in amazement as the two of them flew past Unit-S01's sides, not a single sword swing seen. Suddenly, both of Unit-S01's arms fall off from deep gashes in its sides and shoulders. The scream of pain was deafening from Unit-S01 as the injuries started healing slower than his previous injuries. '…A perfect sync.'

* * *

If Ritsuko was holding onto her coffee cup, it would have dropped from her hand. "T-They actually pulled off a perfect sync with their Eva Units…" she whispered in amazement. Misato just nods, speechless as she stares at the partially regenerated Unit-S01.

* * *

"**DAMN YOU!**" Varian roared angrily before Unit-S01 roars at the heavens and the sky begins to cloud up, blocking out the Sunlight. Suddenly, his wounds begin to regenerate a great deal faster than before, the aura around him now as black as night. "**BURN IN HELLFIRE!**"

Unit 02 vanishes and reappears behind Unit-S01 before stabbing him in the back of the head, the blade breaking into its throat and mouth region. "Oh shut the hell up." Asuka snapped, the red aura around her Eva vanishing and becoming golden instead before she flies back, leaving the sword embedded in its head. Unit 01 flies around until floating in front of Unit-S01 and it glows a brighter purple until it's nearly white before it transfers into his sword blade, his AT Field wings and aura now gone from around Unit 01 itself.

"Take this!" Shinji shouted before slashing diagonally down across the air in front of its chest. Nothing happens for a moment and time seems to stop before a five meter wide cut from the demonic Eva's left armpit to his right waist is cut in him.

If the creature could scream, it would have shattered glass but with Unit 02's blade in his mouth he couldn't. The corrupt Eva couldn't even retaliate without and arms or legs…and the aura around the Eva wasn't enough to reach Units 01 or 02. Unit 06 creates high-density gravity fields at the regenerating parts, halting the healing process with ease by ripping the regenerating body part to pieces. Rei smirks before a bright white light surrounds her Lance copy before she throws it straight at the center of Unit-S01's chest, which goes straight through its S2 Core, causing it to be set aflame.

"**NO!**" Varian roars as the sixes on his hand no longer glow blood red. The virtual version of him swears angrily before the entire Eva explodes in the shape of a white energy cross with a halo of energy spreading out above it as it vanishes, not a trace of Unit-S01 left.

* * *

Misato whistles to herself. "Nice job you all." She compliments them, "You'll be reporting here tomorrow for your briefing on our counterattack against Varian. Take the rest of the day off." She closes communications with them before turning to Ritsuko, who hangs up the phone she was using.

"Commander Ikari approved the creation of Lance of Longinus copies." Doctor Akagi states calmly. "We'll have enough time to make a couple of them, but that's it. One for Rei and one for Hikari."

"Good." Misato replies with a smile, "I think they're ready to fight Varian now."

"Agreed."

* * *

The briefing the next day was short. All the pilots were told was what they knew about Darvin and Varian. Sammael wasn't mentioned at the meeting, but that was to be expected. They didn't want to worry the others about that yet. Asuka was pleased to finally get a weapon created from a Crimson Angel. Not exactly a Crimson Angel weapon, but her complaints about a lack of a cool weapon were dulled. The only decent complaint she had was the blue coloring the weapon had, as she preferred red instead.

Rei was pleased to hear she would receive a copy of the Lance of Longinus. Hikari was happy, but not as much as Rei was. The plan Commander Ikari came up with was simple. They would each activate their AT Field wings for their Evangelion Units and fly into a planetary orbit before heading for the Moon. Doctor Akagi modified their plug suits to regulate their body temperature so they didn't freeze to death in space. She also modified the entry plugs so that there wouldn't be zero gravity inside the Eva. This tidbit of information annoyed Toji and Kensuke, who wanted to see what zero gravity would be like, but they became quiet after remembering this wasn't a pleasant trip. They were off to bring the war to Varian himself.

Eventually, the day came for them to head into orbit…

Shinji pulls his plug suit on and hits the button on his wrist, removing all the air that was inside of the suit. He came out from behind the lockers and noticed Kensuke and Toji were already suited up. "It sucks that Patrick can't join us…" Toji mutters, reminding Shinji of the foolish choice of leaving Tokyo-03 for his vacation.

"I'm sorry…" Shinji sighs, "But we'll make it up to him by ending this stupid war here and now." He didn't want to tell Toji and Kensuke about Sammael, but yesterday he decided to tell Toji about the reason his Eva has an AT Field. Oddly enough to him, Toji wasn't that surprised, as he heard his mother's voice when he first reached a sync of 300.

"Yeah. Let's kick his ass for everything he's done to the world!" Kensuke replies firmly, with a hint of cheerfulness in his voice as he marches out of the room with Shinji and Toji following behind him.

* * *

Like Shinji, Asuka also decided to break the news about the Evas to her fellow female pilots, Hikari and Sarah, yesterday. She sighs as her plug suit was purged of air, remembering how they both took it. Sarah was uneasy about it, but Hikari was shocked to the core…that they would willingly do this to human souls just to have their children pilot. Asuka decided to leave it just at the souls in the Evas. If she told Hikari about what the Evas were created from and the reason for the school they were in, it'd be too much for the Eighth Child to handle. She needed Hikari to have a clear head for the upcoming battle…and she could always tell her everything else after Varian was dead.

"You two seem oddly quiet." Rei notes in a monotone voice, staring at Sarah and Hikari.

"I'm just thinking about things…" Sarah mutters. Hikari just nods in agreement.

"Well get your mind off of them. We have a war to win, remember?" Asuka reminded them pointedly before leaving the room and heading for her Eva.

* * *

Major Katsuragi frowns slightly at the scores being displayed. They all didn't have a sync of 100 like before, but instead had a few points lower. Hikari's was the lowest, currently at 95. "All of you need to get it together." She pointed out flatly. "In five minutes, we're sending you to the surface and you'll need to reach a sync of 300 in order to get off the ground and into orbit."

"We know." Asuka retorts, "Give us a break. We ALL know what's at stake here."

Misato glares at Kaji, who merely chuckled at Asuka's retort. "Zip it, Kaji." Misato snapped angrily before looking at the main screen.

"Oh calm down, Misato." Kaji replies airily. "Some words of encouragement would go a long way here, you know."

Misato snorts before opening communications again. "Everyone is counting on your all, but I know that every single one of you is ready for this battle. We all believe in you, so good luck out there." He closes communications and notices their scores shooting back up to 100. She saw Kaji smirking at her triumphantly but didn't let him get a chance to reply. "Don't say a thing, Kaji."

"Right, right…" Kaji smiles and chuckles before looking up at Commander Ikari, "Maybe you should give them some encouragement as well. After all, you're the one in charge of this place and it's the least you can do." 'To make up the fact you've done nothing but use these kids like puppets.' Kaji added mentally.

Ikari gives Kaji a flat glare, as if hearing Kaji's thought, before speaking. "You have done excellently against the Crimson Angels, Children." He begins calmly, "I have not forced you to pilot or push yourselves as far as you have. I'm grateful to every single one of you for all you've done. Thank you." He pauses, "You have all suffered losses and pain from Piloting, for this, I apologize. I have no doubts that in my mind about how skilled you all are, and I know you can win against Varian. Good luck." He cuts off communications and stares at Major Katsuragi, who is staring at him in amazement. "Launch them immediately. It's time."

"R-Right. Launch the Evangelions!" She orders before the Evangelions are all launched to the surface of the ruins of Tokyo-03.

* * *

Unit 01 grabs Chivalt's sword from the weapons cache next to him. Unit 02 pulls out the new sword that was created from Hyoragon's tail spike and feathers, out of the weapons cache and swings it to the side. Unit 03 wields Revalt's axe in his hands, and Unit 05 uses both his Crimson Angel weapon that he received from Shalock and a positron sniper rifle. Unit 06 spins her gravity spear in her right hand, while both Units 00 and 07 hold a Lance of Longinus copy in their hands, although the latter also holds her Eva-sized shield created from Gormarc's scales and spikes.

The internal power supply monitor was replaced with a countdown to the beginning of the battle. The moment it reached zero, Misato spoke out loud to them. "Begin the Operation!" She ordered, "Shinji, you, Rei and Asuka will take point. Now move out!"

"Right!" They all reply in unison before the eight Eva Units are surrounded by a golden aura and two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on their backs.

"Let's go!" Shinji shouted before flying up into the air with the other pilots following behind him.

The beginning of the end has begun.

* * *

A/N: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that next time; there will be a two chapter special release. The bad news is that I'm doing this cliffhanger. Trust me though. It'll be worth the wait. See you soon!

Read and Review!


	44. The Elemental Master

A/N: At last, the time is at hand. Without the Lance of Longinus, we cannot use Lilith to complete the project. Therefore, we must use Lilith's only true offspring, Eva Unit 01-

Asuka punches the author in the face. "Shut the hell up. Why are you even quoting Keel Lorenz?"

Vanpat rubs his nose gently. "I was bored, okay? Now, the time is at hand. It's time for the Eva Pilots to take the battle to Varian."

"Took you long enough," Sarah muttered, "I was under the impression this would span three chapters, but now it's two."

"I figured that if I make the chapters extra long, it would be more epic that way." Vanpat replies with annoyance. "Why should I spend a whole chapter with the exploration of Varian's HQ when I could do the same thing in the fille- err, TRAINING chapters after this."

"Aha! You admitted that they are fillers!" Asuka pointed out triumphantly.

"Fine, but I could argue the point that an entire story is merely filler to just get from point A to point B." Vanpat states smugly.

"He's got a point." Shinji replies softly. "I've read the script and that's all this story is. The conclusion-"

Vanpat quickly covers Shinji's mouth. "Shh! The fourth wall is broken enough as it is! If you spoil the ending, my reputation will be ruined!"

"What reputation?" Darvin demanded in a flat voice. "This is merely your ramblings. Your logic on how the Evas work changes with the chapters."

"…Crap, you noticed that? Damnit!" Darvin chuckles at the author's annoyance. "Fine, I think your time in this story is just about up." Vanpat smirks as he hands the Crimson Angel the script.

Darvin growls angrily before burning the script. "What the hell? I'm beaten by a bunch of CHILDREN?" He roared.

"Oh shut up…thanks for killing the tension…and destroying my script copy." Vanpat grumbles.

"Hey, you're cliché enough to spoil it anyways. We win because good triumphs over evil, the end." Sarah stated blandly.

Asuka glares at the author. "WHEN am I getting a Crimson Angel weapon? And I DON'T mean this stupid cheap knock-off sword!" She throws the bright blue Heavy Prog Sword on the ground.

Vanpat smirks. "Who says you're getting one?" He regretted that immediately when Asuka started choking him to death. "Gah, enough! Read the script!" He quickly hands it to her and is released.

Her expression brightens noticeably. "Is this really my Crimson Angel weapon?" She asks quickly with a smile on her face.

"Yup. I saved the best for you on purpose. It'll be effective to use in tandem with your genius and imagination." Vanpat smirks before looking at Darvin. "Your turn to do the Disclaimer."

Darvin glares with hatred at the author before facing the audience. "The author, Vanpat, does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any way, shape, or form."

* * *

Darvin sighs in his seat in the Crimson Angel meeting room, staring sadly at the empty chairs. He didn't miss them, per say…but Chivalt's, Shalock's, and even Morlina's antics livened up his time working for the Crimson Angels. Sir Eran joined for revenge and his beloved revived, Shawl joined because his parents were murdered in a war and he was enslaved and forced to work, and Loriana was brought back with no memories and would be provided answers if she joined. Truly, Varian was cruel the way he toyed with the both of them…

Himself? No, he didn't join for any of those reasons. He feared death from old age and tapped into ancient magic to extend his life...That's the excuse he used when telling the others his reason. In truth, however, he didn't want to die until he learned everything there was to learn. His thirst for knowledge and use of forbidden spells attracted Varian's attention, who offered immortality and knowledge if he served his cause. Darvin's true name was Darien. It was an odd coincidence that his name was similar to the Crimson Angel's name…and that they both meddled with magic, but he took it at face value and joined willingly.

He was solitude by nature and didn't desire contact with others. At first, only Varian was present in the meeting room, so he managed to be okay with it. The Crimson Angel asked him many questions about his research, obviously curious about the world and the magic he used. Oddly enough, it was thanks to his tampering with magic that Varian's spirit could roam around the world and eventually find him, as the seal prevented him from doing anything until Darien's magic accidentally freed him. Shortly after joining, Varian remarked that there would be new members eventually joining them.

Needless to say, Darien was not thrilled with the idea. He enjoyed solitude, yet enjoyed it when chatting with Varian, who he could easily relate to and understand. The newest member after himself didn't exactly please him, as it was Shalock, The Shadow Manipulator. He despised being part of a large group, yet he would endure it if he could continue living forever and have access to Varian's library, which contained a massive amount of knowledge.

Shalock, like his childish form suggested, was immature and drove Darien to the point of wanting to KILL him. The brat constantly annoyed him…though, oddly enough, there were times that he acted quite mature for his apparent age. This actually intrigued Darien, and was amazed at how skilled the boy was at using what would eventually be referred to as electronic technology. He was also studious, and eventually created the first light bulb countless years before the idea of using electricity even occurred to normal humans.

This was the only reason Darien didn't kill him…besides the fact Varian would be furious with him if he did. After all, he wanted to learn everything and needed immortality, which Varian gave him, to do it. Eventually, the technology Shalock created reached the point where Varian took interest in it and requested Shalock create a device that could allow the user to take over another individual's mind and body.

"Darien, I believe it is time for preparations." Varian stated calmly after dismissing Shalock, "The seal that Sammael is bound by has twelve secondary locks and five main locks. Each of the main locks is bound by the life of one of us…and the lives of the last two Crimson Angels I will bring into our organization. The seal will be broken if we die…but Sammael would prefer to avoid that. I want you to create an item that can bring back our brethren so they may fight in our place."

My task was simple. The creation of the Resurrection Shards. In truth, however, Varian brought us under our fold with such items but he only possessed the four he used to create the four human-form Crimson Angels (myself included) that would eventually sit in this room. These were provided by Sammael with what power he could muster. My Resurrection Stones were imperfect, sadly enough. Varian, however, was pleased that I succeeded in creating such an item in such a quantity. In a later meeting, Varian gave credit to Sammael for the creation of the later twelve Resurrection Shards, mainly because he didn't want to inform the others that Sammael's powers had declined greatly from being sealed for such a long time. I didn't mind having Sammael take credit, because without him, I would likely have died from old age by that point.

Darien eventually learned that Varian took over a king of one of the human kingdoms and started a war. Personally, Darien thought it was odd he would attempt to do this, but eventually he discovered the reason. Shortly after this war, two others joined one after the other. Those two were Chivalt and Morlina.

At this point, he was just about used to Shalock's foolishness but now had to deal with a short-tempered knight. Darien cast aside his human name and became Darvin, the Elemental Master. Frankly, the knight's arrogance annoyed him to no end so he decided to fight him in single combat to teach him a lesson in humility and easily defeated him. Sadly, this only increased his problems, now unable to concentrate on expanding his knowledge on the universe with that knight constantly demanding a rematch.

Finally, an event in the human world actually caught Varian's interest. Second Impact.

"The time we have awaited is finally at hand." Varian intoned formally to the assembly of Crimson Angels. "Humanity has finally progressed to the point of creating a God. If they succeed, we can take this power and use it to break the seal on Sammael!"

During this meeting, he gave every one of them a task to perform. Shalock was to keep an eye on the technology being developed, the Evangelion Units. Morlina was to watch over the Pilots of these Evangelions from a distance. Chivalt was instructed to watch over the secret organization known as SEELE. And finally… "Darvin…I'll be frank. I have not been able to find a human soul for each of the Crimson Angels on our side. I want you to find suitable candidates for the remaining Resurrection Shards."

It was a simple task, but I had no idea it would be as difficult as it would become. I found four of the remaining six before the event that changed the entire world occurred.

Third Impact had begun.

Lord Varian was ecstatic about this turn of events and immediately ordered everyone back to the base to observe these events from afar. Everyone (myself included) was in awe at the divine power unleashed by Unit 01. Finally, after everyone's AT Fields were broken down, Varian gave us our orders.

Shalock and I deleted every bit of data in the Magi that related to Third Impact and replace it with false data instead. Varian and Morlina waited in SEELE's meeting room to present their offer of an alliance to Keel (should Varian's theory that the Third Child would abort Third Impact was accurate). Chivalt would wait in the meeting room and watch over the Doorway. Everything went according to plan. Nerv's data was rewritten and Keel accepted the alliance. However, what surprised Varian was that Lilith's Lance of Longinus was summoned from the Doorway and to Unit 01 when Third Impact was aborted.

The Lance is what kept Varian's power in check, as well as prevented the revival of our fellow Crimson Angels. With that removed, our attack on humanity could begin…

* * *

Varian appeared in his chair and stared at Darvin before pressing a hidden button on the table and bringing up a visual of the Eva Units, currently flying up into the sky and entering planetary orbit. "Darvin, it's time. The Eva Pilots have begun their counterattack and are on their way here." He states calmly. "The Elemental Spears are online and ready for use in long-range combat. Destroy every single one of them with no hesitation, understood?"

Darvin nods and stands up, ripping his black cloak off to reveal a long, flowing blood red robe underneath the black cloak, inlaid with runes and magical circles. His face was weathered and had many scars. Darvin's hair was long and white and his beard was long and tied together, also white in color. He holds his right hand out and his staff is summoned, nearly as tall as himself and dark brown in coloration with a silver orb near the tip of it. His body was well-built, despite his apparent old age and his eyes had a tinge of blue in them in the sea of blood red. "I won't lose, Lord Varian." He states calmly before bowing to the leader of the Crimson Angels and vanishing into thin air.

* * *

Shinji felt strange after leaving the Earth's atmosphere, as if his body felt lighter for an instantly before it returned to normal. He heard Toji and Kensuke's complaints abut decided to tune them out. "Everyone okay?" He asked softly, knowing that it would be difficult for some of them to use their AT Field wings for the amount of time they'd need to in order to reach the Moon.

"Yeah, we're okay." Asuka replies as the others also reply with similar statements. "So, how long until we reach the Moon anyways?"

Ritsuko decides to respond. "At top speed for you all, it'll take about 58 minutes to get into an ideal location to escape planetary orbit and 127 minutes to reach lunar orbit."

"So basically, three hours?" Toji complains, "We'll die of BOREDOM up here!"

"Wait, there's no way we can keep up this sync for hours at a time!" Sarah pointed out angrily. "Even if we could, we'd be in no condition to actually fight anything!"

"Calm down. All you need to do is increase your altitude until you reach the ideal condition for planetary orbit and turn your synchronization with the Evas off." Ritsuko replies in a flat voice. "The zero gravity of space will do the rest…and don't worry about life support. I outfitted the Evas so they can survive the vacuum of space, but they aren't made for re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, so you'll need your AT Field wings for that."

"Oh, that makes sense…" Asuka muttered, breathing a sigh of relief at that announcement. "I don't think anyone could keep it up that long."

'Asuka, keep an eye out for anything strange.' Kyoko whispers to her daughter. 'Remember that Darvin has long-range attacks…so you'll have to be cautious.'

'Of course, Mama,' Asuka replies with a smile before reaching planetary orbit.

"It's time everyone. The Magi will calculate and input the data into your Eva Units before we cut the sync off from your Eva. You'll still be able to talk and such, but you won't be able to move your Eva Unit." Ritsuko announces calmly. The Evas suddenly stop and float in the vacuum of space before flying in a westerly direction, heading for the Moon while in Earth's orbit.

"Okay, we're cutting your sync with Eva off now. Relax and just let it happen." Doctor Akagi continues before the AT Field wings on the Evas vanish. "Feel free to relax until it's time to leave planetary orbit."

"Great, a whole hour of boredom," Toji mutters after Ritsuko turns off communications with them all, "They could have at least let us float around the entry plug from the zero gravity."

"I don't think it would be a good idea." Hikari replies softly, gently releasing the controls of the Evangelion and closing her eyes. "We need to focus on conserving our energy until it's time to fight."

"What are we suppose to do until its time though?" Kensuke whined, looking at the Moon before staring down at the Earth. "Hey guys, look at the Earth!"

Everyone looks down and their eyes widen, "Mein Gott, its beautiful…" Asuka whispers softly as she stares down at the world.

"Yeah…I've never seen it for all the way up here before…" Shinji replies.

"Both you and Asuka have seen the Earth before!" Kensuke pointed out.

"Yeah, but we were focused on getting back safely after beating Radmiir." Asuka reminds him in a flat voice. "It's sort of difficult to see the sights during such a tense time."

"True…" Toji mutters, "So, what do you all want to do after we cut Varian's head off?"

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei flinch slightly, remembering the others didn't know this wasn't the final battle they would have to face. No one notices this, however.

"Go to high school and college." Hikari replies with a smile. "Get a job, get married, have a few kids and enjoy a good life."

Toji blushes slightly, "I think that's what all of us want to do…except Asuka, because she already graduated College."

"I don't know what I'll do…" Sarah admits ruefully. "…I never really thought of what I'd do after this was all over."

"Same here…" Shinji mutters, glancing at Asuka through the communication window. "I'd definitely get married and maybe start a restaurant."

Asuka chuckles as she hides her blush at the term marriage and knows who Shinji was planning to marry. "That's a good idea. You're an excellent cook, so you'd definitely be a huge success." Everyone else also agrees in some fashion, as all of them ate Shinji's cooking at one time or another, causing the Third Child to blush.

"Well…I'm not THAT great…" Shinji tries to change the subject off of him. "Kensuke, are you planning to join the military?"

"Hm, I don't think I should after all of this." Kensuke admits ruefully, "Wars and fighting aren't as great as I originally thought they were…"

"That's a surprise." Sarah comments blandly. "I was under the impression you were obsessed with the army."

Kensuke glares at the brunette. "Yeah, well, you should become an actress because of all the drama you tend to cause."

Sarah blinks, "That's…actually a pretty good idea." She chuckles, "So Rei, what will you do with the rest of your life?"

The First Child stares at the Sixth Child with a raised eyebrow. "I am uncertain." She admits. "Asuka, what is it that you plan to do after this is all over?"

She smiles, "Get married to Shinji when I'm older." This caused the Third Child to blush deeply. "After that, who knows?"

"Well, this is nice and all but…" Sarah yawns, "I'm taking a nap, if you don't mind." She states airily, "Wake me up when it's time to head to the Moon."

* * *

"Sarah, get up already." Ritsuko snapped angrily, causing the brunette to awaken sharply and look around. "Much better. Now, it's almost time to leave planetary orbit. Get ready to activate your Eva's wings."

"R-Right." She breathes in and out before she synchronizes with her Evangelion Unit again, noticing the others had already done the same.

"Have a nice nap?" Asuka asked flatly, annoyed that she couldn't wake the brunette up despite the screaming she did, and yet Ritsuko could easily wake Sarah up. "Get ready."

"Sorry…did I miss anything big?" Sarah apologizes as two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on her back.

"Not really." Toji mutters, "We played charades, truth or dare, and a few word games."

"Aw, I missed truth or dare?" Sarah whined, "Darn it…anything interesting happen?"

"Err, nothing of consequence." Rei replies quickly, "Just the usual truths and dares is all."

Sarah raises an eyebrow but decides not to question Rei's hasty reply and instead notices the embarrassment on everyone else's faces. "Okay…so when do we head for the Moon?"

"Right now." Ritsuko states calmly before the Evas slow down and faces just to the west of the Moon. "It'll take about two hours to get there so I've changed your flight path so you'll intercept the Moon rather than miss it. Now go!"

"Right!" Everyone flies forward and in the direction of where the center of the Moon will be in two hours. Their sync dropped to zero and their wings disappeared after reaching top speed in order to conserve energy.

* * *

Darvin stares up at the Earth calmly as he stands near the cliffs surrounding the crater that leads to the entrance of the Crimson Angel base. On the ground next to him are multiple large silver missile-like spears that are elaborately made with golden runes inscribed on them in many places. In front of Darvin is a small platform similar to the one that allowed him to transfer his energy to the Eva Series under Varian's control.

He slowly steps onto the silver platform and stabs his staff into the center of it, causing golden runes to appear on it in a strange pattern. His staff shifts from dark brown to silver in color and the orb becomes golden in color. "Time to begin." He mutters after some time passes, the missile-like spears now hovering off the ground before facing the Earth. Suddenly, the missile-like spears shoot out towards the Earth, leaving a golden trail behind them as they fly.

* * *

It was thirty-three minutes from the Moon that the Pilots finally noticed something odd. "What is that?" Toji wondered, catching everyone's attention as they looked towards the Moon and also saw what caught Toji's attention. There were faintly glowing golden dots flying towards them and twinkling against the white background of the Moon.

Rei's eyes narrow, her heightened senses from having Angel DNA unable to see them clearly, but she could easily detect an ominous air from it. "Everyone, get ready for combat." She states in a firm voice before forcefully reactivating her Evangelion Unit. "Doctor Akagi, can you do a scan of the area between the Evangelions and the Moon?"

Ritsuko raises an eyebrow before having Maya do a scan with one of the satellites of the area. Her eyes widen before opening communications with the Eva Pilots. "Multiple projectiles incoming! A Crimson Waveform pattern is detected from each of them!"

"What?" Asuka demanded. "Is it Varian or Darvin?"

"The Magi theorize that it's Darvin, the Elemental Master, manipulating them in order to counter you. He excels in long-range combat and his AT Field signature is identical to the one on the records we took from SEELE." Maya reported. "You'll intercept them in fifty-seven seconds. Your Eva Units can now be synchronized with again." The pilots waste no time in reaching a sync ratio of 300 and growing two diamond-shaped AT Field wings.

Shinji's frowns slightly. "Hikari, could you please move to the front and get ready to create an AT Field with your shield."

"Of course." Hikari flies forward while the others decrease their speed. She channels her Eva's AT Field into the shield, holding it tightly in her Eva's left hand and she braces her body against it.

"Everyone, line up behind her please and brace yourselves behind each other like a chain." Shinji orders hesitantly, moving Unit 01 behind Unit 07 and bracing his Eva against hers. The others follow his example and do the same until they are flying single file with one behind the other.

"Um, Shinji…I don't doubt you or anything but…what are we doing exactly?" Sarah demanded, her Eva at the end of the line. "Can't we just wait for them to come and destroy those things as they come?"

Shinji shakes his head. "Normally, that would be a good idea…but we're in a race against time here. We're still too far away from the Moon to turn off our wings, meaning we have to get to solid land as soon as possible or we'll be too tired to fight Darvin or Varian."

Asuka chuckles, "Good point. It looks like you're smarter than I thought you were." She pauses, "No offense meant, Shinji." She added quickly.

"None taken." Shinji smiles at the redhead, "Toji, Kensuke. You two create an AT Field on our left that extends all the way to Unit 06. Rei, Asuka, please do the same for the right. Sarah, create an AT Field behind us."

"Five seconds until interception!" Hyuga shouted.

"Now Hikari!" Shinji shouted after three seconds, the Eighth Child raising an AT Field in front of them from her shield, which magnified its power. Half a dozen missile-like spears with golden runes engraved into them flying by the Eva Units in a six-star formation while the seventh directly impacts against the center of Hikari's shield.

"What the hell is that thing?" Asuka demanded from behind Unit 01, her eyes widening as magical circles appear three-dimensionally on the sides and both lightning and fire shoots out against the shield.

"Hikari, don't take down the AT Field!" Shinji shouted as their momentum began to decrease. He looks at the other missile-like spears and notice magical circles appearing on them, now flying along side the Evas and firing a barrage of ice, diamonds, wind blades, and other elemental-based attacks, which were blocked by the AT Fields projected at their sides. "Damn…" He closes his eyes, trying to think of a counterattack. "Toji, leave the chain and take those things out with your axe! I'll take over for you."

"Huh?" Toji looks baffled.

"Idiot…your axe can absorb AT Field-based attacks, remember?" Asuka pointed out flatly.

"Oh, right…" Toji looks slightly embarrassed before leaving the protection of the barrier. The moment he does, one of the Elemental Spears flies up and two magical circles appear, a barrage of fireballs and lightning bolts firing out at Unit 03. The Fourth Child creates the AT Field absorption sphere and absorbs the power behind the attacks before firing a barrage of Anti-AT spheres at the spears. The one attacking him is completely destroyed and two on the right side are damaged. Magical circles appear on the damaged portions and they regenerate.

* * *

Darvin frowns slightly. "I forgot about that damned axe…" He mutters darkly before frowning up at the Earth. "I think I'd best pull them back."

* * *

Suddenly, the five remaining Elemental Spears break away from the sides, but the one in front is unable to move away or it will face destruction. Unit 03 flies in front of the chain of Evangelion Units and tackles his Eva with the AT Field absorption sphere around his body into the spears, absorbing the AT Field-based fire and lightning being fired at him rather than Hikari now before cutting through it. The back end withdraws and flies away, a magical circle appearing on it and begins regenerating it while the front end is destroyed by Hikari when she rammed through it with her AT Field.

"They ran away…" Asuka mutters, "Toji, that axe of yours is useful so you should take the lead. Are there any problems with that, Shinji?"

"What? Oh, no problems, Asuka," Shinji replies softly as the line of Evas break up. "Rei, your senses are sharper than ours, so can you keep an eye out for those things?"

"Understood," Rei responds in a monotone voice before Unit 00 moves to the center of the group, her eyes slowly surveying the area. "They are keeping their distance, but I am uncertain if they are out of range from attacking us."

"Where are they?" Kensuke asks quickly, readying his Eva's positron sniper rifle.

"They have surrounded us in a six point star formation and are constantly orbiting around us in a clockwise formation." Rei responds calmly, pointing at one of the golden dots, which now looks like a streak of golden light.

Kensuke nods, "Toji, could you brace my Eva?" He pulls down his Eva's scope and looks through it as he increases its magnification and targets one of the missile-like spears.

"There's no way you can make that shot!" Asuka point out flatly, "They're moving targets...and they can just regenerate from the damage they take unless you completely destroy them!"

Kensuke's eyes narrow, "Rei, could you guess at their speed and distance in meters?" He asked the First Child, effectively ignoring the redhead's remarks.

Rei frowns slightly, "About 125 MPH and approximately 4500 meters away."

"Thanks." He replies as the boy moves his Eva's rifle to the right of one of the missile-like spears and mentally calculates in his head; adjusting his rifle carefully before firing a positron rifle shot. The energy shot goes straight through the middle of the spear, causing it to explode.

Asuka gapes at the sight. "How the hell did you make that shot?" She demanded.

"It's just a matter of doing the math. After all, it IS my strong point." He points out smugly.

* * *

Darvin mutters a few swear words. "Okay, I'm obviously not going to get anywhere at this rate, so it's time to get a bit serious." He glows with a golden light, 'Darien, are you still around in there?'

'Of course I am. Let me guess, you want to do what Sir Eran and Loriana have done?' He chuckles in an old voice. 'Sure. I think it's time to test these kids, anyways.'

* * *

Rei's eyes widen, "Everyone, get ready!" She shouted before putting up her Eva's AT Field. The moment after she does, a lightning bolt hits her AT Field. The other Eva's waste no time in projecting their AT Fields, blocking a barrage of fireballs, boulders, and large ice shards that hit the AT Fields moments later. "He's attacking from long range!"

Sarah frowns, feeling a strange presence from the missile-like spears now. "Be careful. I feel something weird from those spears now."

At this point, the Evas were at a standstill. They couldn't move forward from lack of momentum, as they were using their AT Field wings to keep themselves from being launched backwards from the force of the enemy attacks. "We'll never get to the Moon at this rate!" Asuka shouted as she continued blocking the flames hitting her AT Field.

Toji swears before taking his AT Field down and creating his AT Field absorption sphere around his Eva, "Sarah, can you put a gravity field around those things?"

"Are you crazy?" Sarah demanded, "They're too far away to try pulling that off successfully! I'd end up missing at least half of them and there's no guarantee that it'll work!"

"We have to do something!" Toji shouted as his axe's gauge filled completely and he puts his AT Field back up. "You, Kensuke and Hikari can't use your AT Field wings for too much longer without getting tired!"

Sarah hesitates and frowns, "I have an idea, but there's no guarantee it'll work."

"What's the idea?" Asuka demanded as the attacks on them stopped.

"…Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Hikari will go on ahead while me, Toji and Kensuke keep these things here." Sarah responds softly; charging her Eva's AT Field into her Gravity Spear.

"That's a nice plan, but you're forgetting the fact that they can just go after us instead!" Asuka pointed out flatly.

"Not if I create an electromagnetic field around this entire area." Sarah states bleakly, her Eva and Gravity Spear glowing dark purple. "The only way they could be controlled at this distance is using technology to enhance the user's range, so there's no way they'll be able to pursue if I use one to trap them here."

"A perfect sphere with a radius of 4500 meters? Are you insane?" Asuka roared, "There's no way anyone could pull that off, not even Shinji!"

"Do you have a better idea?" Sarah snapped angrily. "Right now, the only way to win this is to reach the Moon before we run out of energy!"

Hikari's eyes brighten. "I think I have an idea. Those spears must a have a limit to how fast they can go, right? Shinji, Asuka and Rei could probably outrun them with a sync of 500."

"That is doubtful." Rei states in a monotone voice, "The speed of their approach was too fast to put a guess that they couldn't keep up with us…and it would exhaust us too severely to attempt to merely outrun some enemies with that level of sync. We must save our energy for Varian."

"Both plans are good, but neither will work…" Hikari frowns, "Sarah, could you surround each of those spears with individual electromagnetic fields?"

Sarah glares at her. "I told you that they're too far away to aim accurately!"

"Then make them big enough so that isn't an issue!" Hikari snapped, "You suggested creating a magnetic field big enough to cover everything here yet you complain about creating five fields that won't even be a 10th of that size?"

"Do you know how much strain it is to not only create multiple fields, but to put their central point in an area so far away?"

"I do! I did that with the spear we used in the simulation against Zeruel!" Hikari reminds Sarah angrily. "Now shut up and just do it!"

The pilots are all silent, amazed at how angry Hikari was just then. Toji was the first one who dared to speak, "Umm, what should we do?"

"Toji, you and Kensuke will stay with Sarah and use your Anti-AT Field spheres to destroy those spears one by one while Asuka, Shinji, Rei and I head for the Moon." Hikari replies calmly, as if she was never angry.

Sarah frowns, closing her eyes and trying to use her ability to sense their presence to locate all five of them, 'Now!' Five massive electromagnetic fields appear around the five remaining Elemental Spears, trapping them. She gasps as pain runs through her body. 'Shit, there's no way to hold them if they counterattack my field…'

"Let's go!" Hikari shouted before flying towards the Moon at top speed, Units 00, 01 and 02 growing two more diamond-shaped AT Field wings on their backs and flying past Hikari and Unit 07.

* * *

Darvin chuckles softly as his eyes become blue in color rather than his usual red. "They'll be here soon, huh? Well, let's see if that girl can actually contain my attacks then."

* * *

"Toji, take them down now!" Sarah snapped; the strain of keeping the fields up draining her energy at a high rate.

Unit 03 fires a massive Anti-AT Field sphere at one of the magnetic fields, which is shattered with ease and eradicates the Elemental Spear inside. "Kensuke, use your Crimson Angel weapon!" Toji shouted before activating his AT Field absorption sphere around his Eva. Unit 05 fires a barrage of white energy blasts from its right arm and fills the gauge on Toji's axe completely before Unit 03 swings down at another enemy, destroying the magnetic field and the spear inside with an Anti-AT Field sphere.

Sarah started gasping in pain as the dark purple aura vanishes from around her spear and Eva vanishes but the three remaining magnetic fields stay up. Magical circles appear on the spears and various elemental attacks fire out at the remaining magnetic fields, easily destroying them. Unit 06's AT Field wings vanish and Sarah's sync drops to 59. "Damn…I'm out of energy…" She whispers as flames shoot out at her Eva.

Unit 03 moves in front of her Eva and absorbs the attack with his AT Field absorption sphere and fired a barrage of Anti-AT Field spheres at the three remaining spears, which evade the attack with ease before a positron rifle shot blasts straight through one of them, causing it to explode. "Nice shot, Kensuke!" Toji shouted.

"Thanks!" Kensuke replies as he aims his positron rifle at another one before smirking, "I have an idea." He aims his rifle towards the Moon and puts the scope magnification at the maximum. "You guys, move out of the way!" He shouts to Asuka, Shinji, Rei and Hikari, who quickly move out of his firing path before he pulls the trigger.

* * *

Darvin's eyes widen before a positron rifle shot hits the ground fifteen meters away from him, breaking his concentration with the Elemental Spears. 'That kid nearly hit me!'

* * *

Toji takes advantage of this opening and charges his AT Field into his axe before swinging it at the two spears, creating a large AT Field slash that cuts through and destroys both of them. "We did it!"

"Yeah…" Sarah whispers as she clutches her head. "Keep it down…my head hurts…"

"Oh, sorry…" Toji apologizes before grabbing onto Unit 06's left arm while Unit 05 does the same for her right arm before the both of them fly forward. "Let's catch up to them."

* * *

Darvin sighs, shaking his head wearily as he pulls his staff out from the platform, which turns back to its normal coloration as the platform turns offline. "Pity…I underestimated them."

'I'd have to agree.' Darien's voice notes blandly. 'So, ready to let me have full control?'

Darvin sighs, "Very well…" He closes his eyes before he is surrounded by a golden aura.

Darien opens his eyes slowly, looking up before vanishing, dodging an AT Field slash that tore through the platform he was on and destroying it completely. The Elemental Master reappears in the air over the crater leading into the Crimson Angel base, staring at the four Evas now landing on the Moon and their AT Field wings vanishing. "Hello Eva Pilots." Darien notes calmly, his blue eyes staring calmly at the four Eva Units. "You're a bit late. Something hold you up?"

Asuka growls, "Are you trying to be sarcastic, you bastard?" She demanded angrily before swinging her sword to the side, which glows as blue as her own eyes.

"Wait. I sense a human presence from him." Rei interrupts the coming battle.

"Nice job, child." Darien chuckles, "Darvin decided to go with me on this. We miss those that have fallen and both of us want to fight you…so I'm now in sync with the Crimson Angel."

Shinji sighs, "Can't you let us pass or help us against Varian?"

"Sorry boy, but that won't happen. Varian is on a whole other level…and as you are now, you can fight him at full power. You lack the strongest Crimson Angel weapon in terms of attack, which is mine." He smirks, "I'll warn you now that Varian's Crimson Angel weapon isn't just controlling that shadow demon of his…Varian's power is far greater than you think."

Asuka slashes her sword down and fires a massive AT Field slash that tears into the ground at Darien, who swings and AT Field-charged staff to the side and redirects it into the crater wall, causing boulders to fall down into it from the shattered cliff wall. "You all never fought at TRUE human-form Crimson Angel at full power. Chivalt tested Ikari, Shalock couldn't unlock his perfect form, and Loriana fought against Varian; exhausting him enough so he wasn't at his best."

"What's your point?" Asuka demanded, a bit uneasy from having her attack deflected so easily.

"It's simple. If you can't beat me, you have no chance against Varian." He is surrounded by a golden aura that slowly expands and becomes half the size of Unit 01 before fading away, revealing Darien's second form. His robe was now silver in color with golden trim at the edges. His battle staff was a long pole with three triangular points jutting out of the tip that touched the now golden orb between the three points. His hair and beard were no longer white but a rich auburn in coloration. His eyes, like the previous Crimson Angels who achieved the perfected state, were purple in color. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Sarah breathed deeply as she tried to focus on recovering her lost strength. Frankly, she was exhausted and would easily collapse if her mind would just LET her. Her headache had subsided but her strength had not returned yet. From the surface of the Moon there were flashes of lightning and fireballs, massive in size, going across the surface of the Moon. "Toji...Kensuke…Get down there and help them. The momentum my Eva has will be enough to get me to the Moon eventually, but Shinji and the others need your help now…"

"Right…" Toji replies as two more AT Field wings grow on his back as he lets go of Unit 06 and flies towards the Moon.

Kensuke chuckles as he continues to lead Unit 06 towards the Moon. "I think I'll stick around and attack from long range." He states with a smile as he raises his positron sniper rifle and targets Darien. "He's a bigger target now…" Unit 05 lets go of Unit 06 before flying to the side so Sarah's Eva isn't in his scope and re-targets Darien. "Before, I didn't think of the Moon's gravity and rotation, but this time, I'll compensate for it."

He bites his lip as he adjusts his aim and closes his eyes, trying to mentally calculate it. At this point, Nerv was just about out of contact range so he'd be on his own with the targeting. 'Now!' He pulls the trigger and fires a positron rifle beam.

* * *

"Is that all?" Darien taunts before creating a wall made of diamonds in front of him, blocking the AT-Field infused swords in both Unit 01's and 02's hands before blasting Rei away from his left side with pure force. "Come on, kids! Use your AT Field wings already. I'm already bored with fighting you at just a sync of 100." His eyes widen before he quickly raises his staff and projects his AT Field to block a powerful laser blast aimed directly at him. 'He fixed his aim?'

Hikari stabs her Prog Spear at Darien, who just teleports out of the way and reappears on the surface of the Moon away from the crater. "Tch…I underestimated all of you, it seems." He fires a wall of black flames at the pilots, "Remember these?"

Shinji and Asuka jump back as the diamond wall Darien created to block his attacks was incinerated and the wall of black flames slowly approached them. "That dragon thing?" Asuka swears angrily in German.

A large explosion of dust flies up in the air between the Evas and the black flame wall, and which it clears it reveals Unit 03 with his AT Field absorption sphere. "SHIT!" Darien swears before trying to call off his flames but it was too late. The flames were absorbed into Toji's axe and the meter filled with a black, flowing energy.

"What the hell?" Toji demanded after noticing his filled gauge was not the normal purple coloring but it was instead black.

Asuka's eyes narrow, "Hey, Darvin or whoever you are. What did you do to Toji's axe?"

"It belonged to Revalt, and I did nothing…but that idiot took the black flames into the axe…" Darien muttered darkly before shattering the ground under the children; causing the Evas to fall onto the ground after losing their footing. "Either way, I'm not giving you the chance to use that axe again, you brat." He snapped before steel spikes erupted from the ground under the Evas, which barely managed to roll out of the way or jump to their feet in time to evade.

Toji smirks before slashing his axe at Darien and, rather than a golden sphere, a black fireball was released from the axe and was fired at Darien. He quickly puts up his AT Field, crying out painfully as the flames spread over his AT Field like wildfire before gritting his teeth and throwing his AT Field away. He grips his left arm painfully as it fades into nothingness. "Damn you…I had to throw away my left arm because of you…" He growls out before his eyes widen and a positron rifle shot going through his right leg and vaporizing it, "DAMNIT!" He roared before firing a barrage of black lightning bolts up at Unit 05, who quickly raises his AT Field.

Kensuke soon regretted that as his body felt like it was on fire from the sheer pain as the lightning continued spreading on his AT Field. Unit 05 fires his Crimson Angel weapon in the form of a barrage of white energy blasts, which counter and cancel out the enemy's lightning. 'What the hell…?'

Rei's eyes narrow. "Be cautious. The aura around those attacks was black…meaning that it feeds off of normal AT Fields and attacks the soul itself."

"Wait, so it's like that dragon but worse?" Asuka demanded, "How did Kensuke counter it then?"

"Each AT Field has a certain…aura around it. The aura around Kensuke's attack was white, which canceled out the black aura around Darien's attack…but I don't think Kensuke can try that again." Rei states bleakly after hearing Kensuke's gasps of pain over the communications system.

"You okay, Kensuke?" Toji asks in a concerned voice.

"I've felt better…" He mutters weakly as he flies to the left quickly, evading an enemy ice spear barrage.

"This is a battle, not a social gathering." Darien reminds them before surrounding his body with a black aura. "My ultimate defense cannot be breached-" he cuts off before evading Toji's axe. "You aren't draining my powers again, you brat!" He shouted before black ice comes out from the ground around Unit 03 and quickly encases Toji's Eva and leaving only its right hand and the axe untouched. "There, problem solved."

Hikari cries out her boyfriend's name before charging straight at the Elemental Master. He smirks and raises his hand before firing a barrage of black diamond shards at Unit 07. Before they hit, however, a powerful gravity field pinned them to the ground before Unit 06 appears above Darien and slams her Gravity spear down at him. "Die!"

Darien smirks and creates an AT Field that easily blocks the attack. "Nice try, girl." Sarah's eyes narrow before focusing a thin, dense gravity field on the top of his spear, increasing the sheer force of her attack. Darien's AT Field is slowly repelled downward as the attack becomes too strong to block. "Shit!" He roared before the field becomes covered in a dark aura. Sarah's eyes widen as the aura slowly spreads over her spear and she quickly kicks off of the AT Field, crying out in pain as the dark aura touches the soles of Unit 06's feet.

Unit 00 throws its Lance copy straight through his AT Field and shatters it before heading towards the Crimson Angel. Darien quickly raises his right hand and creates a shield of black flames that incinerates the Lance as it reaches him, "Now Hikari!" Rei shouted before Hikari cuts through his back diagonally from his right shoulder to his left waist, barely missing his S2 Core and easily penetrating his black aura with her Lance copy.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" He snapped angrily after teleporting away and his wounds slowly regenerate but his left arm doesn't return. "Damnit…I hate that damned Lance of Longinus! How can a mere copy so easily break through my aura?" His eyes widen as he stares at the golden aura around the Lance copy. "…I see. That's why…" He mutters before glaring at the Eighth Child and firing a black fireball at her.

Hikari raises her shield and the flames hit it, but they don't spread any further and Hikari is unaffected. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei were trying to avoid heavy combat in order to save their strength for Varian, but if this continued, they would have to interfere. Unit 05 turns the safety off of his positron sniper rifle and forcefully rips off the crosses on his forearms and uses his AT Field to fuse them with his sniper rifle before targeting Darien. Kensuke charges almost every bit of energy into his sniper rifle/Crimson Angel weapon combo before pulling the trigger. A massive laser blast fires straight out of the sniper rifle and his crosses that create energy shockwaves at the gun barrel as the massive laser blast flies at the Crimson Angel.

Darien's eyes widen before raising his staff and projecting a massive black-colored AT Field. The shockwave from the impact forced Darien to the ground, creating a 25 meter diameter crater around him. "Shit…" He gasps out, using every ounce of energy just to hold Kensuke's attack at bay. "What the hell is with this power…?"

Unit 02 sees an opening and dashes at Darien, surrounding her blue Heavy Prog Sword with a golden aura before stabbing it straight through his already overtaxed AT Field and straight into his chest and S2 Core, causing the Crimson Angel's body to burst into flames.

"It's over, Darvin…" Asuka mutters before pulling her sword out of Darien's chest.

"Heh…" Darvin's form vanishes just to reveal his human self, which has blue eyes and grey hair. "I guess so…" His body begins to burn, "Well girl, you have good aim…so I think I'll give you this." His staff hovers into the air, glowing bright white in color and slowly transforming into a perfect sphere of white energy. "Just touch it…"

Unit 02 reaches out and wraps its hand around it. Asuka's eyes widen as the white aura encases her entire Eva until it's blinding. When the light fades, Unit 02 now has golden armor plates on her shoulders, forearms, lower legs, the back of the hands, the ankles, the front and back of her upper body, and her head. The golden armor seemed to glow before it fades away. "What…is this?" Asuka's eyes widen as her modified Heavy Prog Sword becomes red and golden in coloration.

"This is my weapon…Unlike my staff; your armor grants you the ability to create and manipulate anything that you can imagine, as well as reduce the energy needed when using AT Field-based attacks." Darien smiles as his arms and chest burn away. "I'm glad…I can finally join Sir Eran, Loriana, and Shawl…I've missed them over the time we spent together. Treasure your friends…you never know what you've truly lost until you actually lose it…Farewell…" His body fades away completely.

Darvin, the Elemental Master, has gone silent.

* * *

A/N: Sadly, this battle wasn't as epic as I hoped, but I don't think anything could match the battle I had in Tokyo-03 when the Evas fought Varian's Eva Series and Unit-S01. This chapter was extra long (over 8,000 words) so I don't want to hear complaints about how I didn't release two at once like I said I would, especially since last time I released two at once. Also, due to lack of reviews, I'm releasing chapters once a week again instead. The wait will be worth it, so see you soon!

Read and Review!


	45. The Final Messenger

A/N: Finally! The Chapter you've been dying to see…the death of Varian is finally here! Hurray!

Varian glares at the author. "I'm so glad you care about my wellbeing." He retorts with a vast amount of sarcasm in his voice.

"Everyone hates you though." Vanpat remind him blandly. "And I mean EVERYONE!"

Varian mutters a few swear words. "So, was there any point in me talking here?"

"Yes. You'll do the disclaimer as a sendoff to the world." Vanpat smirks, "We'll miss you…"

"…Like tooth decay." Sarah shouted.

"…Like the other Crimson Angels." Hikari replies.

"…As much as the last day of school," Toji remarks.

"…Like Unit-S01." Rei states in a monotone voice.

"…As much as SEELE." Asuka smirks.

"…Like the Eva Series Units you had." Kensuke put in his statement.

"…Like the Angels." Shinji mutters.

Varian glares at the children. "I notice you're missing someone. I wonder why…" He flinches as an aura of bloodlust surrounds Sarah.

"I'd suggest you read this disclaimer before Sarah rips your head off." Vanpat notes.

"Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion." Varian says quickly before running for his life while Sarah is in pursuit with an angry mob, equipped with pitchforks and torches.

Vanpat rolls his eyes, "Anyways, sooner or later, I'm going to edit the previous chapters so there aren't any discrepancies in the information gained from these future chapters."

"Finally…" Asuka muttered.

* * *

Varian stands in the air over the table with a pentagram on before glancing back over his shoulder, watching as the Crimson Orb counterclockwise from the lowest point of the upside down star ceased glowing red. The twelve orbs surrounding the pentagram on the Doorway were no longer glowing…and now, four of the five central orbs at the points of the upside down star were dull red in color. The only Orb on the Doorway that was still glowing was his own, the lowest point of the upside down star.

'…So I'm alone again, huh?' He thinks to himself before turning to face the Doorway. 'I suppose there's no point in dwelling on it now. I've cast my die, now I must follow it through to the end.'

"I'm curious how you plan to win." A young man notes blandly, causing Varian to turn around sharply and his hood falling down to reveal his face. Now that the both of them were so close, you could easily tell the family resemblance between the two of them.

"…Tabris, why are you here?" Varian asked flatly as he pulls out a set of gauntlets from his cloak and puts them on.

"Ah still have your weapon with you, huh?" Kaworu chuckles, "So, do you regret your actions yet?"

"Hardly. Your ability to look into the hearts of others has become rusty, Tabris." Varian smirks as the Crimson Orbs on the gauntlets glow a sooty red color. "Your lack of an offensive ability forced you to train yourself in different arts of combat to make up for your ability."

"Isn't that why you joined Sammael?" Kaworu stated calmly, causing the Crimson Angel's eyes to widen. "You didn't think I knew that, huh?"

"…My ability is no longer than same as yours, Tabris." Varian finally said.

"Despite this, you believe you can win against the Lilim." Kaworu noted, "The Lance of Longinus and the shield from Unit-S01. Equipping your shadow demon with this won't be enough."

"Perhaps, but it's my choice." Varian retorted before his shadow demon appeared behind him, wielding a long, two pronged red spear in its right hand while a strange device is strapped his its left forearm. "Now get out of my base."

Kaworu shrugs, "Very well. I merely wished to speak with you one last time before the seal is broken."

Varian's eyes narrow. "God told you what will come to pass, but the future is uncertain to me. Does this mean I win?"

"No, in either case, you lose." Tabris sighs, "Farewell brother." He vanishes into the air.

* * *

As Unit 02 stabbed Darien in the back, Shinji knew the battle was over and decided to help Kensuke out. Unit 01 took flight and flew out of lunar orbit and chased after Unit 05, which was going quite fast because the force of his attack sent him backwards. His wings were gone, meaning he couldn't even stop without assistance. Shinji grows two more wings, now a total of four, in order to catch up to Unit 05. He flies behind him and pushes the Eva until he stops flying backwards. "You okay, Kensuke?"

"Ugh…I've felt better." The Eva Pilot muttered before reaching his hands out and grabbing onto two crosses. "My positron rifle is gone but my Crimson Angel weapon is still intact." He slowly reattaches them to his forearms and fuses them back on with his Eva's AT Field before sighing weakly. "I'm completely drained, Shinji. Did we beat him?"

"Yeah, thanks to your help." Shinji replies with a smile before pushing him towards the Moon and letting his sync drop to 300 again.

* * *

"Toji!" Hikari shouted as Unit 07 drops her Lance copy and dashes over to Unit 03 before her right fist pounded against the black ice.

"Calm down, Hikari!" Sarah snapped, Unit 06's left hand grabbing Unit 07's right arm. "Asuka has the guy's Crimson Angel weapon, so she can easily counter his attack."

"I-It's freezing in here." Toji's teeth are heard chattering.

"Thank God!" Hikari cries out, "Are you okay?"

"C-Cold, but o-okay otherwise." Toji replies, "H-Hurry and thaw m-me out!"

Unit 02, now equipped with golden armor plates, walks over to Unit 03 and rests its hands on the side of the black ice. Asuka closes her eyes and focuses on what Darien said. 'Unlike my staff; your armor grants you the ability to create and manipulate anything that you can imagine, as well as reduce the energy needed when using AT Field-based attacks…'

"Let's see if he was telling the truth…" Asuka mutters before focusing her Eva's AT Field into the golden armor, causing it to glow brightly before her hands are surrounded by white flames; they spread over the black ice and quickly melt it but the flames leave Unit 03 intact and undamaged. "Whoa…" Asuka clutches her head gently with her right hand. "That felt…weird…"

Unit 07 practically squeezed Unit 03 in its arms. "I'm glad you're okay, Toji…" Hikari whispered with tears in her eyes.

"I…won't be okay if you….squeeze me to death." Toji gasps out before Unit 07 lets go of his Eva and the Eighth Child's face was dark red from embarrassment and was forever grateful that her sister didn't see her do that.

"Aw, isn't that cute." Kodama chuckles over the intercom, causing the former class rep to blush deeper. Nozomi is heard giggling in the background.

"Wait, how can you communicate with us?" Asuka asked curiously.

"Sorry about that." Ritsuko replies with a tone of annoyance in her voice. "We requested to the U.N. to move one of their satellites out of orbit so we could get back into communications range. As for her commentary…" She turns to glare at Kodama, who smiles apologetically while Nozomi whistles innocently. "…Hikari's sisters and Sarah's guardian are both here, despite my protest but Misato insisted…and there's someone else here that would like to speak to you, Toji."

"Who-" Toji cut off at seeing the new face in his communications window, a smile forming on his lips as tears run down his cheeks.

"Hey there, Toji." A young girl states calmly to the Eva Pilot with a smile on her lips. She had dark grey hair that went down to her shoulders and was parted around her left forehead area. Her eyes were dark green in color. She was wearing an orange buttoned shirt with black stripes on it that went up vertically and wore blue pants. (Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0) "Why are you crying?" She smirks slightly.

Toji hastily wipes the tears from his eyes, "Who's crying? I'm not crying…" He sniffles slightly.

"Your sister has fully recovered. I didn't tell you earlier because you might be hesitant in leaving Tokyo-03 for the battle against Varian." Ritsuko admits.

"…I would have gone anyways. They needed my help." Toji replies softly.

"True, but I didn't want to take the chance."

"By the way Toji…I heard you have a girlfriend now!" The girl's smirk widens as she chuckles softly, causing the jock's face to become red from embarrassment. "I'm actually surprised that you have one, considering your personality."

A/N: Toji's sisters' name isn't ever given, so I'm making one up. Sorry.

"Akira, stop teasing me!" Toji complains as the other pilots chuckle.

"Hikari huh? I guess she's the light of your life." Akira continues teasing her older brother before opening a communication window to Unit 07. "Wow, she's quite the catch." Hikari blushes, "Please take care of my idiotic older brother."

Before things could degrade any further, Misato interrupted the conversation. "Can we get back to the main point now? Varian won't defeat himself, you know."

"Right," Shinji replies before looking at the condition of the other pilots and their Evas. "Sarah, Kensuke, and Toji…I don't think you should join us."

"WHAT?" Toji demanded angrily before wincing in pain, "There's NO way I'm getting left out of killing that bastard!"

"Yeah! We all came here together to beat him!" Kensuke shouted.

Sarah just glares at Shinji and before she could retort, Ritsuko cuts her off. "Be quiet! Right now, you three are too exhausted to even reach a sync of 100, let alone 300. You'll only be a burden in there."

"Rei, here you go." Unit 07 hands her Lance copy to Unit 00, which seems to shake its head.

"You'll need it more than I will…but I would request Sarah hand me Unit 04's staff." Rei states calmly,

Hikari raises an eyebrow, "Sarah brought that weapon?" She looked slightly surprised. "I didn't notice." Unit 07 faces Unit 06 and notices Unit 04's 'Lightbringer' Staff attached to the back of Unit 06 in a similar fashion as SEELE's Eva Series carried their Lance copies.

"If you don't shut up and stop complaining, I will personally kick all of your asses until you can't move anymore." Asuka threatens as her Eva is surrounded in golden flames. The three Pilots quickly shut their mouths and complied. "That's better…Shinji, Rei, Hikari and I will head down there, kick Varian's ass, take the Lance of Longinus back, and rip that base of his apart before we all head home and relax." She looks at Sarah. "We know you took Unit 04's staff with you, so give it to Rei."

"Fine…" Sarah mutters before pulling Unit 04's staff off of her back and hands it to Unit 00, which takes it gratefully.

Hikari chuckles and nods, "I'll just act as support. You three are the only people who can fight Varian as an equal."

"Okay," Shinji replies before moving his Eva to the edge of the crater and looking down. At the bottom of the crater was a large metal doorway, which was likely the entrance to the base. He hops down into the crater with Units 00, 02, and 07 following behind him.

* * *

Akira Suzahara was definitely an interesting girl. Although she was only a year younger than Nozomi, she had quite the personality herself. She acted a great deal like Toji did, but there were differences. Like Toji did at one point, she hides her worry or compassion for others that aren't her friends, but deep down, she has a heart of gold, just like Toji. She also could see through Toji's tough guy act with ease and enjoyed teasing and joking with him, but truly cared about him, despite some of her deflating comments about the jock.

"So, Toji went and grew up while I was out like a light huh?" Akira notes calmly before sitting on a chair with wheels on the bottom and spinning it. "Good. Pity I wasn't awake around the time he was in denial about his feelings about Hikari. I would have had a field day teasing him."

Kodama rolls her eyes as Nozomi nods in agreement. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun teasing them when Toji came to our house with no one there except Hikari."

"No way!" Akira looked shocked before grinning. "Oh God, I'll never let him hear the end of that when he gets back."

"Why not tease him now?" Kodama asked curiously.

"He'd just cut communications with this place…and I'd rather see him face to face." Akira shrugs.

* * *

Varian stares at a hologram of Units 00, 01, 02 and 07 walking through the now open doorway that leads into the base. Or rather, it was blasted off its hinges by Unit 02's AT Field-infused Heavy Prog Sword. 'Soon, the time will be at hand…'

"**Varian…**" A demonic voice echoes in the massive room, causing the leader of the Crimson Angel to flinch violently. "**I'm becoming impatient…**"

Varian rises to his feet and faces the Doorway before kneeling in front of it. "My Lord, the time of your Freedom is nearly at hand."

"**How much longer, Varian?**" Sammael growls out, obviously annoyed at Varian's reply.

"Soon, my Lord." Varian replies.

"**SOON?**" Sammael roared angrily; causing the entire room to shake from the power of his voice. "**For the past four billion years, you've said that accursed word! Obviously your definition of 'soon' and mine are vastly different!**" The creature's voice was filled with a vast amount of sarcasm at this statement.

Varian flinched violently, "I-I'm sorry, my Lord. Evangelion Unit 01 is on its way here…and with its power, I'll easily be able to break the seal-"

"**You neglected to mention that it's coming here of its own volition!**" Sammael snapped, cutting Varian off. "**At one point, I believed you were competent enough to handle this position, but you've failed me numerous times! Your choice of candidates for Crimson Angel hosts has a great deal to be desired. Thirteen failures and three traitors!**"

"But my Lord-"

"**Worse yet, you destroyed the key to my full and immediate Freedom, Unit-S01!**" Sammael roared; causing dust to fall from the ceiling as the Doorway began to glow with an ominous red light. "**You are an absolute failure! The only way you will be able to redeem yourself in my eyes is the capture of Unit 01 and the destruction of every single human who dared to oppose me! NOW GO!**" The Doorway seems to shake slightly before the red light fades away.

Varian looked shaken as he stood up and turns away from the Doorway. He closes his eyes before becoming lost in thought. '…He won't accept another failure…It's all or nothing now…'

* * *

"This place is oddly Eva-sized…" Shinji mutters softly as Unit 01 walks down a large, straight passageway with a few small human-sized passageways occasionally branching out. "You'd think they'd try to make things more difficult."

"There are doors that are human-sized though." Asuka pointed out, "I'm guessing Varian wanted to do the Red Earth Purification Ceremony in the room with the Doorway rather than out in the open like SEELE did."

"Red Earth Purification Ceremony?" Hikari asked, baffled by the term.

"Asuka is referring to Third Impact." Rei clarifies for the Eighth Child. "SEELE accurately portrayed the term, as the Earth became red as the souls of humanity were gathered to Lilith."

Hikari shudders slightly. "I faintly remember Toji appearing out of nowhere and kissing me…" She blushed faintly after saying this. "It freaked me out…"

"Rei, how much of Third Impact do you remember?" Asuka asks the First Child.

Rei frowns, "My memory during the majority of it was erased by Lilith. She also created my own soul before infusing herself in Unit 00's Core."

Hikari was lost at this point. "Wait, didn't you have a soul before Third Impact?"

"My body contained Lilith's soul." Rei stated simply, causing Hikari's eyes to widen in shock.

"…Okay, what else haven't you all told me?" Hikari demanded.

"We didn't want to tell you until after this. I promise to explain everything after Varian's head is put on Unit 04's staff." Asuka promises.

"Fine, just avoid giving me those graphic images." Hikari whispers softly.

The Evangelion Units walked in silence as the minutes ticked by. "Shinji, how much do you remember of Third Impact?" Asuka asked suddenly.

Shinji blinks, "I…don't really remember a lot…" He admits ruefully. "I was in the center of it all but…" He frowns slightly, 'Mother, why can't I remember the things that happened during Third Impact?'

Yui stayed quiet for a few seconds before responding. 'I erased those memories from you.'

"WHAT?" Shinji shouted in surprise, catching everyone's attention.

"What's wrong Shinji?" Asuka demanded, glancing around nervously as if preparing for enemy attack.

Shinji turns off communications with Hikari. "My mother just told me she erased those memories from Third Impact."

"Now wait a minute." Yui interrupts a possible tirade from Asuka by appearing in the Entry Plug of Unit 01 and floating next to Shinji in her lab coat with a shirt underneath and a long skirt than went past her knees. "I had my reasons for doing that."

"Whose voice is that?" Hikari demanded. Yui opens communications with Unit 07, causing the Eighth Child's eyes to widen.

"My voice. I am Yui Ikari, Shinji's mother." Yui smiles, "Some pilots can speak with their mothers, whose soul resides in the Eva. Right now, I can take a semi-physical form in Unit 01's entry plug, Hikari Horaki."

"Wait, how did you know my name?" Hikari asked, trying to get over the shock of seeing Yui Ikari for the first time.

"Your mother told me who you were." Yui replies with a soft smile on her face, "The souls inside the Eva Units can communicate with each other…and I have a message for you, Hikari. Your mother says she's very proud of you and to keep up the good work."

Hikari sniffles slightly and lets some tears run down her face before wiping them away. "Tell her I said thank you." Suddenly, Hikari has a feeling of warmth she had almost forgotten…the warmth of her mother's embrace.

"She heard you." Yui states calmly, "Now…back on topic, I erased those memories because some of them were traumatizing memories…and you have enough problems to deal with right now, Shinji. I left you with some memories…most of them, actually. Like when you talked to the 'real' Asuka."

"Wait, I don't remember that." Asuka stated in a flat voice.

"That's my fault. I didn't want you to try and kill Shinji after seeing the real you, which because of the AT Fields breaking down, you-" Yui begins but Shinji quickly covers his mother's mouth, which was twitching with the urge to laugh at this point.

"Don't tell her ANYTHING about that!" Shinji whispered quickly, his face blood red in color as he remembered how the both of them didn't have any clothes on when they spoke during Third Impact. He actually tried to forget about how beautiful Asuka was, but his mother's statement just reminded him about her curvy, silky smooth- "Gah! Why did you have to remind me of how beautiful she looked without clothes on?" He demanded out loud, hearing a gasp from Hikari and Asuka. 'Crap!'

"YOU WHAT?" Asuka's face was the same color as her hair as she hastily covered her chest and privates with her arms and hands. "YOU PERVERT!"

"You saw her naked?" Hikari looked between a mix of shock and disgust. "Do you know how inappropriate that is?"

Yui sighs, "Good thing I cut communications with Nerv or the other Evas from Unit 01…and Kyoko, Lilith and Hikari's mother did the same for your Evas."

"This is all your fault, Mother." Shinji complains bitterly.

"Ah, you're the one who couldn't stop staring at her during Instrumentality." Yui teased her son. "Luckily, your urges for intimacy were muted at the time…and I distinctly remember Asuka checking you out too."

"SHUT UP!" Asuka screamed; her face even redder than her hair now. "JUST SHUT UP!" She glares at Shinji, "When we get back home, I'm going to KILL you!"

Shinji whimpers, "But it wasn't my fault…" He covers his own red face with his hands. "I'm sorry, Asuka…"

"Okay, cut the drama out for now Asuka." Kyoko states calmly before appearing in the Entry Plug and floating next to the Second Child, currently wearing a white dress that went all the way down and past her knees. "We do have other issues to consider right now, like Varian."

Yui chuckles, "Oh please Kyoko, you were laughing loud enough to wake the dead." She smiles impishly as Kyoko looks a bit embarrassed.

"It isn't funny!" Asuka snapped at her mother.

"I'm sorry, but it really was…" Kyoko giggles softly before looking forward and down the hallway. "Anyways, Varian and the Doorway are in a room at the end of this passageway. There might be a door or two between that'll be big enough for the Eva Units on the way there, but they aren't important. Right now, the faster we kill Varian, the more time we'll have to train."

"Wait, are you Asuka's mother…and what do you mean train?" Hikari looked confused again, but she noticed enough resemblances between Kyoko and Asuka to figure out who she was.

Kyoko frowns, "A slip of tongue, I guess…" Yui glares at her, "Oh calm down. They would have found out eventually."

"Eventually is the key word." Yui pointed out flatly, "Hikari didn't need to know about it yet." She looks at the Eighth Child. "Don't worry about it, okay? We'll explain it later…now let's go kill Varian." Yui vanishes before Kyoko joins her.

Hikari glared at the three original Eva Pilots, who managed to look a bit guilty, "I'll want to know everything you've been hiding later…I thought we were friends!"

"I'm sorry Hikari…" Asuka apologizes, "I didn't want to worry you more than you were after learning just a bit about the Evas."

Hikari sighs, "I understand…let's get going…"

* * *

The room was filled with a vast darkness as four Evangelion Units walked forward. The pilots all switched to the night vision mode for their Eva Units and the world around them was shown. The room was massive in width, length and height…and almost seemed endless in size with large columns spaced out at half-mile intervals. "I don't think the Moon is this big…" Asuka muttered darkly after seeing there was no end to the room's size.

"Varian probably used some ancient form of magic to increase the size to be big enough to act as a battlefield." Yui whispers to the Pilots, "You see, it involves the manipulation of Time and Space, which-"

"Excuse me, Mrs. Ikari?" Hikari replies hesitantly.

"Just Yui is okay, Hikari." Yui smiles as her form reappears in Shinji's Entry Plug. "What is it?"

"I'm sure that we'd enjoy learning about something new, but I think Quantum Physics is a bit out of our league." Hikari points out gently.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that everyone." Yui apologizes, "Sometimes the scientist in me comes out to say things like that."

"I don't mind." Asuka smiled faintly, having already graduated College because of her high IQ. "You can keep talking about it to me, at least."

"Asuka, let's wait until Varian is dead before you and Yui discuss Quantum Theory." Kyoko chides her daughter.

"Okay, fine…Where's the Doorway?" Asuka asked.

"Straight ahead…at this point, you should be able to feel uneasy." Yui looked put out by Kyoko's statement but didn't show this in her voice. "The closer we get to the Doorway, the worse you'll feel…The seal on the Doorway is nearly gone, so Varian's power will be drawing on the power leaking out as much as possible."

Hikari glares at Yui, "What does that mean?"

"It means once Varian is dead, we'll have to deal with Sammael later on." Asuka replies bleakly, causing Hikari to blink in confusion. "The Eighteenth Crimson Angel."

"Oh…I thought there were only seventeen…" Hikari mutters. "You can tell me later."

'Good cover, Asuka.' Kyoko compliments her daughter.

'Thanks, Mama.' Asuka replies with a smile before torches appear on the columns and run forward like a guide. Oddly enough, the amount of light being produced is more that it normally would be.

"Varian knows we're here and he's leading us to him…" Yui mutters, "Let's get moving."

Within ten minutes of walking, a massive Doorway that rivals the size of the Evangelion Units is visible against the wall. Fifteen meters from the Doorway is a table with a pentagram on it and five ordinate chairs at the points of the pentagram. The seats each have a symbol on the top that signifies the person who sat there. The seats, however, are all empty.

Varian is standing calmly in the air in front of the Doorway's upside down star and staring at the final crimson orb that is still glowing brightly before glancing at the one in the 12:00 position in the circle, which still glows very faintly. "'Bring forth the true form of the Eva Series. Bring forth the true form that will evangelize Humanity. Through indiscriminate death and through prayer, we will return to our original state…'" Varian pauses before continuing to quote Keel and SEELE's chant during Third Impact. In truth, he was quite accurate in getting the voices just right, "'…Through the destruction of the Ego of Unit 01's Pilot, Humanity shall be completed. The Third Retribution is finally at hand. Amen.'" He turns around to face the Evangelion Units. "Do you understand the significance of these words?"

"The only significant thing that told us was that SEELE was filled with a bunch of insane lunatics." Asuka replies in a flat voice, causing the last Crimson Angel to chuckle softly.

"Actually, I thought it was an impressive chant." Varian notes calmly. "However, what truly impressed me was the fact that humanity was capable of creating a being akin to God himself. I witnessed the miracles He performed first hand, so I won't exaggerate that the events of Third Impact impressed me."

"You said 'impressed' three times." Rei pointed out, "It sort of dulls the strength of the word to use it that often."

Varian ignored that. "SEELE attempted to break down the barriers between others, artificially creating the evolution of humanity. Over the countless years, all you've humans have done was wage war after war against each other, not even trying to understand one another." He pauses, "Keel's last statement was accurate. Third Impact was the third time divine judgment was brought down upon you."

"No, it wasn't." Asuka states in a flat voice, "Divine Judgment was brought down on YOU during First Impact…and the other two was SEELE's attempts to play God, you idiot."

The Last Crimson Angel ignored that as well. "To cause humanity to evolve into a single being…there would be no hate, no wars, no death…"

"There was also no love or compassion…only solitude." Rei mutters, "Humans cannot be alone and survive, so stop trying to speak with that 'holier than thou' attitude."

Varian ignored Rei's comment before he continues. "The thing that amused me was that you, Shinji Ikari, had the power of God at your fingertips yet you didn't use it." He stares at Unit 01, "No…I think you still have it."

'Shinji, don't listen to him.' Yui states in a firm voice. 'He's trying to make you and the others emotionally unstable so you'll be easier targets.'

"I know Mother…" Shinji whispered softly before glaring at Varian, "You've lost this war. Every single Crimson Angel except for you is dead, Unit-S01 was destroyed, and your Eva Series army is gone."

Varian smiles faintly, "I expected your girlfriend to retort instead…" He looks over his shoulder at the Doorway. "Varkon, the Possessor, still lives. I personally expected I had killed him back then, but it seems Nerv decided to keep him alive."

"What are you talking about?" Asuka demanded. "You killed Patrick and Varkon, you arshloch!"

Varian openly laughs at this point. "Is that what Nerv told you? The Fifth Child is still alive…if only just barely. However, I don't think keeping him alive was a wise move in my opinion. Varkon will revive in his empty corpse."

'Mother, is he telling the truth?' Shinji asked softly, but Yui remained silent. 'Mother, answer me.'

'…Yes. I'm sorry, Shinji, but I didn't want you to know…because even if he's alive, he won't survive for more than a month now…' Yui sighs sadly. 'He was kept alive in order to fight Sammael.'

"You hid that from me too?" Hikari glares at Asuka, who shook her head in shock.

"No…I didn't even know about that…If he's telling the truth." Asuka whispers before glaring at the final Crimson Angel. "We're here to kill you, take your Crimson Angel weapon and the Lance of Longinus back!"

Varian smiles faintly, "That's IF the Lance will willingly go with you. The Lance of Longinus has a will of its own…and I highly doubt it'll go with you after humanity used it for their own purposes." He grins evilly, "Also, do you truly think you can BEAT me? Before now, my power was limited…but now, my power is at its peak."

Varian raises his right hand; the back of it faced at the Eva Pilots. "It's time to show you the true power of the Crimson Angels." All three sixes on the back of his right hand glow a sooty red color before Varian's shadow demon appears behind him. The shadow demon was equipped with black armor that was inscribed with red runes with the Lance of Longinus in its right hand and Unit-S01's shield strapped to its left forearm. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

"I wonder how things are going down there." Toji mutters after trying to contact Unit 01 but currently unable to contact Shinji.

"It seems there's a bubble around the deepest part of the base." Ritsuko sighs, "It's preventing any scans or communication systems from entering it…meaning Units 00, 01, 02 and 07 are likely inside there."

Sarah closes her eyes wearily, "God I'm tired…"

* * *

Unit 00 jumps back to avoid the shadow demon's Lance thrust as Unit 01 charges forward with an AT Field-infused sword and slashes down at Varian. He smirks before the shadow demon blocks it with Unit-S01's shield, which absorbs the AT Field that was infused into the blade before Shinji is blasted back by an energy shockwave from the shield and flips back and onto his feet. "Come on now, Champion of the Lilim." Varian taunts the Third Child. "You'll need to do better than that." He quickly projects his crimson AT Field on the shadow demon's right side, easily able to stop a wave of golden flames from hitting both him and his shadow demon.

"Shinji is the least of your worries." Asuka snapped before reaching a sync of 400 and glowing with a golden light as four diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on Unit 02's back. Units 00 and 01 also reach a sync of 400 before the former charges at Varian with an AT Field-infused staff (which belonged to Unit 04) and slams it down against the Lance of Longinus, which is now surrounded by a red aura. Varian's shadow demon easily blocks the attack before overpowering Unit 00 and knocking it back. Unit 07 charges from behind and stabs her Lance copy straight at the demon before stopping and jumping back in time to avoid a circle of flames that erupted from around Varian and his shadow demon.

"It's time." Varian mutters before vanishing into thin air. The shadow demon suddenly solidifies and is no longer transparent. The armor it has on its body sinks into its body as it grows larger as ten demonic wings appear on its back. Scale-like armor plates appear on every part of the creature's body as Unit-S01's shield shatters. The scales are more spread out around the arms, legs, wings and tail, revealing black skin underneath with a tinge of red flowing around the armor as well. The chest and head are completely covered by these scale-like armor plates and demonic writing appears in the center of the chest with a pentagram inside a circle at the central point. The creature's eyes were closed as its appearance became more malevolent and demonic; a pitch black aura around its body.

The creature's eyes slowly open, causing the majority of the pilots to flinch violently as a feeling of helplessness overtakes them before averting their eyes from the creature's eyes. A third eye on his forehead opens slowly, glowing a chilling demonic red, which was the same for his normal two eyes. "What the fuck…is that?" Asuka gasps out weakly.

"Varian's getting desperate…" Yui muttered darkly as she appeared in Shinji's entry plug. "I didn't think he'd go so far as to absorb some of Sammael's essence in order to fight you all…"

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked weakly as he felt his body become cold all over.

"All of you need to raise your AT Fields NOW!" Yui snapped, "It will protect you from Sammael's influence. Hurry!"

Shinji quickly nods and lowers his sync to 300 before breathing in and out, slowly closing his eyes as a purple aura surrounds his body and two angelic wings appear on his back. He slowly opens his eyes, which are now purple in color, and calmly stares at Varian's new form. He slowly looks at the other Evas and watches as Unit 00 is surrounded by a white aura and her four AT Field wings becoming white in color. The same thing happens to Unit 02, except her wing count drops to two and the color is bright red rather than white.

"**I see…**" Varian whispers coldly, "**You were trained to enter the state where outside influence would not affect you…even if the influence is from Sammael…**" The demon glances at Unit 07, which has no aura or AT Field wings on her back. "**However…Unit 07 and its pilot have yet to reach the conscious ability to do so.**"

Unit 00 appears in front of Unit 07 and raises Unit 04's staff, which is surrounded by a white aura, just in time to block the Lance of Longinus from slamming down into Hikari's Eva. The shockwave from the attack is massive and shatters the nearby columns as a white AT Field becomes visible and a black AT Field becomes visible, both of them striving to overtake the other. "Hikari, withdraw." Rei states calmly as she reaches a stalemate with Varian. "The situation has changed so only myself, Shinji and Asuka can face Varian."

"I-I can't just LEAVE!" Hikari shouted with fear in her voice as she forces Unit 07 to stand. "I won't run away!" Her voice seemed more stable as a golden aura surrounded her body. "I'll protect everyone, no matter what!" The aura glows brightly and spreads around her entire body and her Eva Unit as she reaches a sync of 300 and two diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on Unit 07's back.

Rei's eyes widen slightly before calming down and focusing on trying to overtake Varian's AT Field. 'She hasn't reached the perfected state of using her AT Field…but her strong will and emotions are under enough control that she can resist Sammael's influence…' Slowly, the pure white aura is being pushed back and Unit 00 falls into a kneeling position as it tries to keep Varian at bay.

An AT Field infuses into Hikari's Lance copy, shifting to a golden color, before Unit 07 throws it past Unit 00's shoulder and into the black AT Field. The Lance copy glows brightly as Varian's black AT Field weakens and Unit 00 slowly stands up and begins to push Varian back. A bone chilling growl erupts from Varian as a black aura surrounds the red aura around the Lance of Longinus before he swings both Unit 00's staff and the Lance copy to the side, the latter sent flying at Unit 01.

'Shinji, cut through it now!' Yui shouted to her son before Shinji slashes Chivalt's sword straight through the prongs of the Lance copy, causing it to break apart and fall harmlessly to the side. Suddenly, to the shock of Shinji, the Lance copy fades away to ashes as his sword glows with a golden light. 'At last…I thought the sword would never evolve…' Yui sounds relieved.

Varian's eyes widen, 'Impossible! I thought the Knight's Sword no longer possessed that damned ability…Chivalt, even in death, you continue to defy me…'

Unit 02 slams its Heavy Prog Sword into the ground before a column of ice surrounds Varian and freezes him solid in the ice. Asuka looks over at Unit 01 and her eyes widen as the sword now has a blade on both sides like her Heavy Prog Sword, but has a single grey pole between the blades that forms a point at the tip of the blade. The blade color is still white but also has a faint purple aura around it. The guard has six diamond-shaped points that resemble the wings on Unit 01's back and are deep purple in color. The hilt itself is unchanged, however. "Mother, what's going on?"

Yui reappears in Unit 01's entry plug. "Chivalt's Crimson Angel weapon is one of the strongest. This isn't because of its base power, which merely increases the power of your AT Field infused attacks, but its ability to absorb the powers and abilities of others and evolve accordingly."

"Wait, what?" Asuka demanded, "You mean…that sword steals the power of whatever it hits?"

"It's not quite that simple." Yui sighs, "The sword must be able to cut through and overpower whatever it hits…and it can only absorb a fraction of the power…unless, of course, the wielder of the power lets him take the full power and abilities as well."

"**ENOUGH!**" Varian roars as the skin under his scale-like armor is set ablaze before the ice pillar it is trapped in shatters into pieces. "**I will rip you all to pieces!**"

"Okay, long story short, Chivalt's sword has been constantly absorbing power until now from various attacks and by cutting through the Lance copy, you've triggered the sword to finally evolve." Yui says quickly before vanishing as Unit 01 flies back in order to dodge the Lance of Longinus, which slams into the ground where the Eva Unit was standing on. "Until now, the power has been growing…but now, it has a defined ability to use that power. It can easily break through AT Fields now." Yui's voice continues to speak, despite her disappearing.

"Perfect!" Asuka replied quickly as she fires a wave of white flames at Varian, who counters with a black AT Field before firing a wave of pure energy from his third eye, blasting Units 02 and 07 back, but both of them regain their footing with ease. The latter drawing her Prog Knife from its shoulder holster. "We can break through that damn AT Field of his now!" Her red aura vanished as her wing count grew to six, currently unable to stay completely calm at the point.

"**I won't let you!**" Varian roared before firing a shockwave from his body that shatters the ground and nearby columns into rubble. The shockwave spreads out horizontally from his waist and fires outwards at the Evas. Unit 01 charges his AT Field into his evolved sword and slashes vertically down at the shockwave, which holds together for a few seconds before shattering.

Unit 07 lowers her shield and noticed she was pushed back by the shockwave until Shinji destroyed it. Units 00 and 02 did the same thing Shinji did with his weapon, but were only able to block the attack that way. "Wow…" Hikari whispers, "That sword is amazing…" Her eyes widen before flying in front of Unit 01 and blocking a beam of pure darkness from Varian's mouth with her AT Field charged shield.

Varian growls angrily, "**That shield is a nuisance!**" He snapped before pulling his arm back and slamming his left fist into Hikari's shield. The impact caused Hikari to be sent flying backwards into Unit 01, both of which fall onto their back with Unit 07 on top of Shinji's Eva. Hikari gasps in shock at the massive crack spread over her shield and the current state of it.

"Shiest!" Asuka swears before firing a barrage of diamond spikes and white flames at Varian while Unit 00 focuses her AT Field around the rubble in the room and fires them at Varian as well.

'…This is a problem…' Yui muttered, 'But also a blessing…Shinji, I want you to use Chivalt's sword and cut through Hikari's shield.'

'WHAT?' Shinji demanded loudly in his mind. 'What about Hikari's defense?'

'Right now, that Shield is in such bad shape that it won't withstand another attack…and if we break it now, the sword will absorb the power of Gormarc's adamantine spikes, increasing the defensive and offensive power of Chivalt's sword.' Yui replies firmly.

"…Hikari, do you mind if I break your shield?" Shinji asks softly as Unit 07 gets off of him and his stands up next to her. "Your shield won't last another attack…and if I do this now, then-"

The Eighth Child sighs sadly as she stares at the crippled shield. "Go ahead, Shinji…" Hikari whispers softly as Unit 07 places the shield on the ground. "At this point…all it would do is slow me down…and if it can help you in any way, then its worth letting it go."

Shinji nods as Unit 07 flies back into the battlefield before Unit 01 charges his AT Field into the sword before slashing through it and cutting it in half. The shield is reduced to ash as his sword blade glows a bright light green color before it fades away. The grey pole in the center was now purple in color and the blades of the sword were completely covered in light green diamond-shaped scales. 'Excellent…' Yui noted, 'Get going, Shinji. His AT Field won't be an issue now.'

'Right…' Shinji whispers softly before calming himself completely and focusing on what he must now do. His sync immediately shot up to 999 as six purple diamond-shaped AT Field wings appear on his Eva's back. He raises his sword and channels every bit of energy he has into it. 'I'll finish this in one attack…We can't let this draw out any longer.'

Unit 07 moved even faster than Unit 01 without its shield hindering it and used hit-and-run attacks with a Prog Knife to constantly damage Varian in multiple spots. Units 00 and 02 notices Shinji gathering energy and realize what exactly he was doing and the pilots decided they needed to keep Varian from moving. Unit 00 shatters the ground under Varian with her AT Field at long range as Asuka manipulates the earth around Varian and mixing in steel chains in attempting to restrain him. Varian growls angrily as the earth and chain bind his arms and legs. "**You think this can seal me, you brats?**" He roared before noticing Unit 01 and his three eyes widen in horror. The Eva is channeling the power of its high sync ratio straight into Chivalt's sword. "**THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!**"

Shinji looks up with purple colored eyes at the Final Messenger. "It's over...Varian" He whispers as he slashes down and fires a massive pure white energy slash before Shinji's sync drops to 38 from exhaustion. Varian breaks his right arm free and countered with the Lance of Longinus, which is surrounded by a black aura, and hits the incoming attack.

The shockwave of the clash caused a massive earthquake to envelop the room and everyone other than Hikari (who was flying) and Varian were knocked off their feet. Suddenly, the Lance is surrounded by a red aura, which overrode Varian's black aura with ease. 'I refuse to be used by you any longer, Varian.' A firm male voice resounds from the Lance as it flies out of Varian's hand, which allows Shinji's attack to cut clean through Varian's demonic form. The Lance stabs into the ground near Unit 07 with a red aura still around it.

The demonic figure growls weakly. "**Not yet…I'm…not finished yet…**" Varian's S2 Core is plainly visible now and Shinji's attack just barely missed it. "**At least…I'll kill you!**" He flies at Unit 01 and slams down his clawed hands at the Evangelion Unit.

He gasps in pain as Unit 00, which as a white aura and six AT Field wings on her back, blocks his left claw with an AT Field infused staff while Unit 02, with a red aura and six AT Field wings on its back, blocks his right claw with an AT Field infused Heavy Prog Sword. What caused Varian's gasp of pain was the Lance of Longinus that was stabbed straight into his S2 Core from behind by Unit 07. "Die." Hikari stated in a flat voice.

Varian screeches in pain as his body is set ablaze from the destruction of his S2 Core. The Shadow of Sammael burns to ashes but…

"I'm…not done yet…" Varian gasps out weakly from the air in front of the Doorway with his right arm over his chest wound. "You destroyed…my second form…but I still live…"

"You're practically dead now." Asuka pointed out flatly as his shadow demon and the armor it had on becomes a pile of ash. "You can't move or fight." The pilots sync levels drop to 100 (except Shinji) and their wings vanish.

"…I'll withdraw for now…sooner or later…you'll all let your guard down…and I still have enough energy to teleport out of here…" Varian gasps out weakly, "Even if it takes…another four billion years, I'll-" Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the translucent form of a demonic sword that stabs from behind the Doorway and straight through Varian's chest and S2 Core, which sets his body ablaze.

"**I won't tolerate this any longer, Varian.**" Sammael growls darkly, his voice and presence causing a chill to run down the spine of everyone in the room. "**My patience with you is at its limit…Die now so the seal may be lifted…**" A translucent demonic face appears on the Doorway, causing the pilots to shudder in fear. "**In seventeen days at noon, my freedom will be assured. Until then, enjoy the last days of your pitiful lives, Lilim…**" The face and sword vanish and Varian's body is nearly burned to ashes.

"…So…he betrayed me in the end, huh?" Varian growls out before his gauntlets glow with a golden light. "…I see…you desire to aid them, huh…?" He looks up at Unit 07 with now blue eyes. "I have a request. Don't let that bastard who turned on me win…" The gauntlets turn into two spheres of golden light before flying onto each of Unit 07's forearms. On Unit 07's left arm forms a large golden cross and on her right arm forms a large golden crossbow-like weapon. "Heh…they suit you, I suppose…" Varian mutters as only his head remains, "All my work gone to waste in the end…I guess God really is watching over you kids…Good luck…" He whispers softly as he closes his eyes and his head burns to ashes.

Varian, the final messenger, had vanished forever from this world.

* * *

Sarah wakes up sharply in her entry plug and grabs her Gravity Spear tightly before relaxing as Units 00, 01, 02 and 07 exits the base and slowly flies up to the surface. Units 00 and 02 are working together to take Unit 01 up to the surface and support him as they land at the crater edge. Unit 07 had a large golden cross on its left arm and a large crossbow-like weapon on its right arm. 'Huh? That crossbow wasn't in my premonition…' Sarah thinks to herself before staring at the red spear in Unit 07's right hand. '…Is that the Lance of Longinus? I feel something from it…a presence…'

"How'd it go?" Kensuke demanded quickly, his energy mostly restored from resting.

"Varian's dead." Asuka muttered, still uneasy from Sammael's words, "We'll explain everything after we get back to Nerv…"

"Shinji, are you okay?" Toji asked softly.

Shinji breathes out deeply, "Yeah…I'm just really tired…" He whispers as he gently breaks away from Units 00 and 02 so he can stand on his own. "Let's head home…"

* * *

A/N: Well, that's a wrap on the Crimson Angels. Now only their Master, Sammael, remains. In a matter of seventeen days, they must become strong enough to defeat a foe that God himself could not/would not slay. Can they pull this off? You'll find out soon enough.

Read and Review!


	46. Angelic Messenger

A/N: Let's see…what to say…I'm overly happy about how things turned out with Varian…the ending part where Varian died had a problem, in my opinion. Nothing big, it just felt…off. Anyway-

"How long are you going to continue this?" Asuka demanded.

"I'll be finished in a minute…" Vanpat mutters.

"I meant with the 'We Hate Varian' fan club. With the guy DEAD, it sort of loses its purpose." Asuka point out.

"True…but we could make it the 'We Hate Sammael' fan club now!" Vanpat cheered.

"What about the epilogue?" Shinji mutters, "He'll be dead, right?"

"…I'll think of something…" Vanpat muttered, "Why did you tell everyone that?"

"We ALL know this'll end with the good guys winning." Sarah states blandly. "The fact Patrick is still alive sort of hints that."

"You're assuming he'll live until the end though." Vanpat notes blandly before teleporting out of Sarah's reach. "Now, I've done all the Eva Pilots…Kaji, Darvin, Varian, Loriana…I guess Misato is ne-!"

Kaworu Nagisa appears out of nowhere with a halo over his head, shocking the Second and Third Child, but oddly enough, not surprising the author in the slightest. "Considering I'll be the major character in this chapter, perhaps I should read the disclaimer." Tabris suggested.

"Fine…Do you need your lines?" Vanpat asked with a faintly annoyed expression.

"Not at all," Tabris responds calmly before facing the audience and smiling. "Vanpat does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any way, shape, or form." The author hands him a piece of paper, causing him to raise an eyebrow before reading it. "The author would also like to inform you he'll be tweaking with the canonical plot slightly again."

"I'm also overjoyed and happy that I finished typing up the last chapters that I'm posting this chapter early!" Vanpat cheers out, "Keep an eye on my profile for updates!"

* * *

As the children returned to Tokyo-03 from orbit they were greeted by a surge of cheers from the Nerv Command Center in their Evangelions. Rei, Shinji and Asuka did not enjoy these cheers all that much, but were also happy that Varian was finally dead. "Rei, bring the Lance of Longinus to Terminal Dogma." Commander Ikari orders in a private communications window so the others would not hear him.

"Understood…" Rei mutters as she grips the Lance of Longinus tightly before heading for the Eva elevator shaft that would bring her to the Geofront and eventually the shaft that led to Terminal Dogma as the other Evas headed for the Eva elevators that would take them to the cages.

* * *

Shinji looks around the dressing room from the male Eva pilots and sighs as he dresses in his normal clothes before glancing at the clock. "It's only three fifteen in the afternoon? It seems later…"

Toji nods in agreement as he straightens his shirt a bit, "Feels like it's been a day…So, what happened in there? You refused to talk about it except the fact you won…"

"…Nothing important." Shinji whispered. He didn't want to worry Toji, Kensuke, or anyone else about what he heard in the Crimson Angel Meeting Room. 'I'll need to confront my father about this won't I?'

'It isn't necessary to do that.' Yui replies calmly, 'Get some rest and we'll worry about it later.'

'Why didn't you tell me about Patrick?' Shinji demanded.

'For the same reason you aren't telling Toji or Kensuke. I didn't want to worry you about this.' Yui states airily. 'Remember Shinji, certain facts are hidden from you for a reason. You'll understand why soon enough.'

'Fine…' Shinji grumbles.

* * *

Back with Asuka, however, things weren't going so smoothly. Hikari was actually glaring at the redhead with tears in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded.

"I didn't want to worry you, Hikari." Asuka sighs as she stares at the Class Rep. "Please try to understand-"

"You didn't trust me at all." Hikari snapped, cutting the redhead off.

Sarah looked a bit confused about what the conversation was about. "Okay, I'm obviously missing about half the conversation here. What the heck are you talking about?"

Rei stares at Sarah, "Something that does not yet concern you." The First Child states simply.

"Yes it does!" Hikari replied angrily, "The fact-"

"Wait Hikari," Asuka cuts her off. "It wasn't a matter of trust, but a matter than you couldn't emotionally handle some of the things I left out when explaining the truth."

"Like what?" Hikari demanded.

"The fact our school…our class is the primary source of Evangelion Pilot Candidates." Asuka shot out, causing the class rep's eyes to widen in shock. "Didn't even think for a second that an entire class with dead mothers was odd in the slightest?"

The room was deathly quiet; even Sarah seemed shocked at that. "…You're telling me…they just used us as puppets?" The Seventh Child finally spoke out.

"Yes." Rei replied in a cool voice. "The Evangelions were created with Angel DNA. Effectively, we were fighting fire with fire."

Hikari spun and walked over to the door. "Wait a minute, Hikari-" Asuka shouted after her.

"…I need to be alone for awhile. Sorry…" Hikari replied softly before opens the door and leaving the room.

* * *

The day after the children returned, Commander Ikari summoned the pilots to the screening room and told them the final threat they would face, Sammael. Needless to say, most of them lost their happy attitude after hearing the type of foe they would have to fight. Many of them looked more than a little uneasy about the situation before being dismissed. Hikari in particular was in a state of shock.

"That could have gone better…" Misato mutters as she sits in a chair in the meeting room that Commander Ikari once used to meet with the Human Instrumentality Committee, which consisted of five members from SEELE, inside Nerv HQ.

"Perhaps…but the fact that this foe is the last will strengthen their commitment to finishing this." Gendo Ikari states calmly from the head of the table with Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki sitting in the chair on his right.

Kaji chuckles from the wall he is leaning against, which is opposite of Major Katsuragi's seat. "The U.N. will be overjoyed to hear Varian is dead…but they might have some issues with you not informing them about Sammael."

"Perhaps…but we will not require their support after the situation is resolved." Ikari states in a flat voice.

"It's a matter of preventing them from cutting our funding before we finish rebuilding Unit 04…" Fuyutsuki pointed out. "Until then, we'll have to be in the U.N.'s good books."

"Speaking of Unit 04…" Misato turns to glares at Ritsuko, who is sitting in the chair next to her and to the left of Commander Ikari. "How's Patrick doing?"

Doctor Akagi sighs, "The body is fully regenerated and in cryostasis…but it's just a matter of time before the Crimson Angel DNA either completely overwhelms him or the body rejects it violently and treats it as a virus. In either case, he'll die."

"…What do you plan to tell everyone after Patrick's soul is back in his body?" Misato asks softly.

"We tell them he's a new pilot and he'll pilot Unit 04." Ritsuko states flatly. "Patrick wouldn't want Sarah or the others to know what really happened to him."

"It's a bit late for that." A young man with a white halo over his head notes blandly, causing everyone to look surprised, except Ikari. "Shinji, Asuka, Rei and Hikari were all told you kept him alive by Varian."

"…I see." Ikari frowns as he stares at Kaworu. "I have a few questions for you, Tabris."

"Feel free to ask them, Commander Ikari." Kaworu replies with a faint smile. "Remember that I can't answer some of them, so phrase them carefully."

"Will both Lance of Longinus' be necessary to defeat Sammael?" Ikari asks firmly.

"The proper term is 'Spear of Longinus,' but no. Both are not necessary for victory, but together…" Kaworu pauses, "Actually, I'm not certain what will happen…God wouldn't tell me, but He did tell me that Sammael can be defeated without both Spears."

"Very well." Commander Ikari stares at Tabris coldly, "Where is Lilith's 'Spear' of Longinus?"

"Closer than you think." Kaworu replies calmly, "It will show itself if necessary…but you should pray the situation doesn't become that grave."

"Fine…do you have any information on Sammael that would aid us?"

"Yes I do." Kaworu chuckles, "Due to being in the World of Darkness for so long, even the attempt to move his body through the Doorway would drain a large amount of energy from his body and he would start at the equivalent of zero sync, if I may borrow your terminology." He taps the table with his index finger. "At that point, the Doorway would immediately begin to severely limit his transfer of power from the World of Darkness to this plane of existence. I know your strategy is to drain him constantly of energy on this side until he's completely drained on both sides and ceases to exist. It's a good strategy but I doubt the pilots could hold out for an hour long battle."

"Do you have a suggestion then?" Ikari stated coldly.

"Yes, I do. Send only four of them up at a time to fight Sammael and have them switch out when they get tired. That way, they'll last longer." He pauses, "I'll move on to Sammael himself. You remember Unit-S01 right?" Ikari nods so he continues, "His form is similar in shape, but his final form is much different. I'd advise NOT letting him get to that point. He can draw upon any and all abilities from the previous Crimson Angels, including those that weren't used against you. I can't tell you those abilities either, sorry."

"I see…" Commander Ikari frowns slightly. "One last question…What is the significance of Sarah's premonitions?"

Tabris frowns, "They are meant to reveal future events and prepare the pilots for the worst case scenario."

"What's the worst case scenario?" Misato demanded.

The last messenger sighs, "If Sammael regains enough power to become a God and reaches his final form before you manage to defeat him…At that point, you'll be putting your fate into pure chance." Kaworu stands up and stares at Commander Ikari. "The Pilots will need training in order to use their AT Fields so Sammael's influence doesn't affect them. I would start doing that immediately, if I were you. Now if you excuse me…I have other places to be right now." He vanishes.

The room was silent until Kaji broke the silence. "So, who the heck was that?"

Misato frowns slightly as she remembered that Kaji was already dead before Kaworu Nagisa showed up at Nerv. "He was Kaworu Nagisa, or Tabris, the Seventeenth Angel."

Kaji blinks in surprise. "…Okay…" He shrugs, "This is the first time I've seen him…So how is he alive? Wait, don't answer that…He had a halo on his head so he's dead but just a spirit or something, right?" Misato nods, "Okay…let's talk about what the guy said...because I understood about half of that."

"I'll fill you in later." Misato promised him.

"Ah, over a drink or two? I'll even pay for yours." Kaji smirks at Major Katsuragi.

"Sure…but I'd like to discuss something else first…" Misato mutters before staring at Commander Ikari. "Can all of the Eva Pilots use an AT Field?"

"Theoretically, they should be able to." Ritsuko replies instead of Commander Ikari. "Hikari's woke up when she was pushed into an emotional corner…so the other Pilots should also have the ability. It's just a matter of awakening it in them as well."

"Major Katsuragi, inform the First Child tomorrow morning that she will begin training her fellow pilots so they unlock the ability to use their AT Fields." Ikari orders.

"Understood." Misato nods before glancing at Ritsuko, "I have one last question, Rits. What exactly happened to Chivalt's sword?"

Doctor Akagi shrugs, "The Magi are still trying to find that out. They're narrowing down the possibilities at the moment. Ask me in a few days."

Misato sighs, "May I be dismissed?" She looks at Commander Ikari as she says this.

"You may." Ikari replies calmly. "Kaji will accompany you so you may inform him of the events he missed."

Misato sighs while Kaji chuckles, "Understood sir…"

* * *

Rei stares calmly at the half-filled Moon in the sky from a hilltop nearby Tokyo-03. The First Child sat on a tree branch from the remains of a fallen tree, which was felled during what was called The Battle of Tokyo-03. She sighs softly as it passed midnight. 'Fifteen days until the final battle…'

"You're alone?" Kaworu Nagisa looked faintly amused as he stood on the soft grass next to the tree branch Rei sat on. Oddly enough (or not at all), Rei showed no surprised from Tabris' appearance out of nowhere. "I expected you to be with the others or sleeping at least."

"I do not require sleep." Rei replies in a monotone voice, turning to face the last Angel. "Do you require something from me, Tabris?"

Kaworu frowns, "You seem to be less emotional than you usually are…but yes, I'll need a favor from you."

Rei sighs, "Emotions are difficult to have at times…and I can't afford to have those during the final battle." She admits ruefully. "So, what do you need?"

"You'll need to teach the other Children how to use their AT Fields to defend themselves from Sammael's influence." Kaworu replies in a serious voice. "If they can't put up a barrier in their mind, there'll be no hope for them."

"Fifteen days to train four people how to use an AT Field?" Rei looked annoyed, "Hikari can use her AT Field unconsciously, but the other three have no clue where to start. It took weeks to get Shinji and Asuka at the level they're at and they already knew how to consciously use it."

"I know it's a lot to ask for, but it's not like they need to reach the perfected state…they just need to get to the point where their minds are unaffected by Sammael's influence." Kaworu explains calmly. "If you need help, then ask Shinji and Asuka to assist you. They would likely be better in understanding the limitations of someone who can't use an AT Field, compared to someone who could always use an AT Field with ease."

Rei frowned slightly, "Very well…is there anything else you need?"

Kaworu looks up at the night sky, "Sarah's visions are becoming more vivid; despite Doctor Akagi's increase of the medication…You'll need to keep an eye on her." His voice was serious as he said this. "Now…I think I'll head out after having a chat with a few more people. Farewell, Rei." Tabris smiles before vanishing into thin air.

* * *

Tabris appears in a vast expanse dominated by a grassy field and a solitary tree that sits next to a sandy beach and a blue sea. A young woman wearing a white lab coat and a long skirt sat calmly with her back against the tree while reading a small book titled 'The First Ancestral Race.' The Angel calmly walks down the beach and up to the tree, standing five meters from Yui Ikari. "I thought you might decide to talk with me." Shinji's mother notes calmly as she flips to the next page before placing a bookmark in the book and slowly closing it. She stares up at Tabris, "You're here to check if I'm ready to do what must be done if Sammael is restored to full power."

"That's correct." Tabris replies in a calm voice, "Are you prepared?"

Yui slowly rises to her feet and nods, "I've been prepared since Third Impact, Tabris. I will do what I must if Shinji cannot…"

"I hope things don't come to that, but there might be benefits to bringing both Spears of Longinus together besides just defeating Sammael." Tabris states calmly. "Such as successfully sealing the Doorway if it fully opens."

"Perhaps, but we don't know what the side-effects will be on the world if we try bringing the both of them together." Yui pointed out, "During Third Impact, I had full control of the Evangelion's immense power…but despite that, there were side-effects as well as benefits. The seal of the Doorway was broken due to that event."

"That is true, but you should look at the positive events it brought. You restored Antarctica, you revived those who died because of the Evangelions and SEELE, and you also prevented the possibility of humanity ever causing an event such as Third Impact ever again." Tabris replies calmly before looking around, "I didn't expect this was what the inside of an S2 Core was like."

Yui chuckles, "The landscape is created from the imagination of the soul that resides within the Eva." Out of nowhere, two figures appear at the edge of the imaginary world. One of them was a young woman with long black hair tied back into a ponytail and the other was of a five-year old boy with slightly unruly black hair and blue eyes. "Ah, hello Diana," She smiles at the approaching woman and notices the young boy hiding behind his mother fearfully. Yui smiles and hugs Diana gently before crouching down and smiling at the young boy. "Hello Patrick. How are you doing?"

He shrinks away slightly before his mother sighs, "Sorry about him…he's still afraid…"

"…Who is that?" Patrick mutters as he stares at Tabris.

The young man smiles fondly, "My name is Tabris. I'm one of God's Angels." He replies gently.

"Oh…that sounds really cool. Would you like to make a sand castle with me?" Patrick asks hesitantly.

"Sure." Tabris holds his hand down to Patrick and the young boy takes his hand before the Angel leads him to the beach.

"…He's completely isolated himself, hasn't he?" Yui asks seriously after the both of them are out of earshot.

Diana sighs, "Sadly, that's the truth." She whispers in a sad voice as she watched the boy begin to create a sand castle with Tabris. "His desire to remain with me in a world that has no pain or sorrow is allowing him to regress back to his childhood…and he no longer has the desire to leave this place and return to his body."

Yui looked sad, "What will happen to him if he stays here?"

"He'll be happy…or at least, that's how he'll think he feels. His memories of his life outside of the Eva's S2 Core are beginning to fade away and disappear." Diana looks depressed as she says this. "I've missed being able to hug my son and watch over him but…he can't stay here with me. He has to move on."

Yui frowns, watching as Patrick watches in fascination as Tabris uses a rainbow-colored aura to change the sand castle into a small castle made of marble. "Has he forgotten about Sarah yet?"

"I don't think so…" Diana mutters, "But at the rate things are going, he'll forget her too."

"…I'll ask Shinji to tell Gendo to move Patrick's soul put back in his body. From what you've been saying, Patrick has about a week before restoring him will be impossible." Yui states in a serious voice, "I don't know if it can still be done even now though."

"I'll do my best to convince him to return." Diana promises before raising her voice, "Patrick, it's time to go home!"

"Aww, okay." Patrick shouted back before hugging Tabris. "Thanks for playing with me, Mr. Angel. Bye!" He runs back to his mother and hugs her leg tightly. "Okay Mommy, let's go home."

"Goodbye Yui and Tabris." Diana bows slightly before vanishing with her son.

"…Your guess of a week was being generous. He'll need to be brought back immediately." Tabris mutters, "Within a couple of day, he'll never be able to leave."

"Maybe…but I have an idea about how to bring him back." Yui replies calmly before looking at the sky. "I'll talk with Shinji immediately. I'm sure you have other people you must talk to as well so you don't need to stay any longer."

"Of course," Tabris smiles before vanishing.

* * *

Terminal Dogma was silent except from the faint motor creating LCL at the edge of the lake. Adam's Spear of Longinus was stabbed straight into the center of Lilith's cross with a faint red aura around it. After the Evangelions returned to Earth, Unit 00 brought the Lance down to Terminal Dogma and stabbed it into the red cross. Suddenly, Kaworu appears floating next to the red spear.

"Hello. It has been awhile, hasn't it?" Tabris notes as if reuniting with a friend after a few months.

'Ah, hello Tabris. Yes…It has been quite a long time since I've seen you as well.' The calm voice echoes from the red spear. 'I never apologized for what happened during First Impact.'

"It isn't your fault. The blame lies solely on Sammael." Tabris replies with a smile, "I'm not here for a social visit though…Yui is prepared for the worst case scenario, but are you willing to aid her should the worst come to pass?"

The room was deathly silent before the voice responds in a serious voice, 'You are asking a great deal, Tabris. If I do this-'

"I understand what will happen, but you realize we might have no choice. The First Ancestral Race has died out and every single Doorway into the World of Darkness that resided on the other worlds has been sealed except this one." Tabris replied just as seriously, "The Seeds of Life are all in place, as well as the Spears of Longinus. This Doorway MUST be sealed completely after Sammael is dead or the First Ancestral Races' sacrifice would have been in vain and their task would be unfinished."

'The cost of doing this would be enormous…Do you understand what might happen to the Lilim should this occur?' The voice demanded angrily.

"Then give me an alternative. Even if Sammael is defeated, the Doorway won't close until it has been resealed. Adam's Spear won't work again, and neither will Lilith's Spear…What choice is there?"

The Spear of Longinus glows bright red before it fades away. 'Very well, Tabris…' The voice responds grudgingly, 'I see the necessity in this, so I will be prepared to do what must be done in the end…'

"Excellent." Tabris smiles at the Spear of Longinus, "Now if you excuse me, I must return to Heaven. Farewell." He vanishes.

* * *

The darkness of space was broken only by the light from a large, circular hole in the Moon that showed flames on the other side. Sarah frowns as she looked down and saw her body was transparent, meaning she was not in her own body in this vision. To her left was a massive demon that glows a sooty red color before its form shifts and change until it consists of a single bone white sphere with two empty eye sockets and a small beak in front. Suddenly, twelve red wings with golden highlight grow up and around the sphere as its two eyes glow a malevolent green color.

Sarah flinched violently at those eyes, as it seemed that every sin that humanity had every committed were shown in those eyes and she looks away. The creature's wings each have three yellow eyes with a black background on them as well, seemingly seeing through everything that is occurring on this battle field. Her eyes turn to her right and she gasps in surprise as Unit 01 appears offline with the Lance of Longinus stabbed straight into its chest. 'No!' She cried out, but no sound was made.

The brunette quickly looked around and saw the wreckage she saw in her previous visions…but now they were outlined in vivid detail, causing her to scream in horror. The wreckage was that of her fellow pilot's Evangelions. What's worse is that their entry plugs were also ejected and torn apart. 'No…NO!' She bumps into something behind her and fearfully turns around, only to see her Eva and Entry Plug torn to ribbons as well. "NOOOOO!"

* * *

Sarah screamed loudly as she woke up and sat up straight in bed, her breathing coming out as sobs as tears flowed down her cheeks and onto the sheets of her bed. Her hands clutched onto her hair tightly and she tried to forget that horrible dream. The door shot open seconds later and Serena dashed into the room and over to Sarah with Misato and some of the other Pilots looking inside. "What's wrong, Sarah?" Serena asked quickly, sitting down next to the brunette.

"I…I…" Sarah couldn't even speak clearly before breaking down and crying against Serena's chest as she tightly embraced her.

"Shh, it's okay Sarah…" Serena whispers before looking at everyone. "It's okay…I'll handle this."

She heard Asuka muttering something about waking her up in the middle of a nice dream but she tuned her and the others out. After a few minutes, Sarah managed to calm down and Serena handed her a tissue, which Sarah took gratefully and blew her nose before throwing the tissue into the nearby basket. "I-I'm sorry…I w-woke everyone up…" Sarah manages to choke out as the vision replays itself in her mind again.

"What happened, Sarah?" Serena whispered softly.

Sarah shakes her head, "I-It was a horrible nightmare…" She whispers, 'It has to be…' The brunette added mentally. 'If it wasn't…NO, it MUST have been a nightmare!'

"Do you want to talk about it?" Serena asks gently. "You know that I'm here for you, Sarah."

"I-It was horrible…I-" She cuts off as tears begin flowing from her eyes again before biting her lip painfully. "No…I can't say it…Or I'll never stop crying…" She whispers tearfully.

"I understand…do you need anything?" Serena runs her hand through her hair.

"Just…stay with me until I calm down…" Sarah whispers.

* * *

Shinji frowns slightly as he opens his door, entering the room before the door closes again and sighing. He had shot up out of bed at a girl's scream and feared it was Asuka but his fears were quieted after seeing Asuka up as well to hear the commotion. 'I guess Sarah had a nightmare…' He thinks to himself before lying back down on his bed and putting the earphones back into his ears and turns his SDAT player back on.

He enjoyed listening to Beethoven's classical music, especially Ode to Joy, despite the reminder it gave him of Kaworu. Just as he closes his eyes, a voice woke him up. He opens his eyes to reveal he is now laying down on a grassy meadow next to a sandy beach and ocean. He stands up and looks around, noticing his SDAT player was gone before his eyes widen as he spots a single, solitary tree stands next to the beach and a young woman calmly stands there with short hair, a white lab coat and long skirt.

Shinji doesn't hesitate in running up to the woman and hugging her tightly, causing the woman to smile fondly and hug him back. "I'm sorry that I woke you up…but I needed to talk with you…"

Shinji wasn't listening, but rather he enjoyed the fact he could finally feel the warmth of his mother's embrace after all this time. "I've missed you, mother…"

"I've been with you all the time…but I just couldn't be there physically." Yui whispers before letting go of Shinji. "But like I said before, we need to talk."

"Where are we?" Shinji asked curiously as he looked around the grassy field and the beach.

"Inside Unit 01…or rather, your consciousness is." Yui corrects herself. She notices Shinji's panicked expression and continues, "Don't worry darling. This isn't like before, but rather, I've pulled your sleeping mind to me. It's complicated so just think of it as a dream and you'll be close." She pauses, "Tell your father he'll need to bring back Patrick as soon as possible…in a matter of days, it'll be impossible to bring him back. After all, the soul must be willing to leave and he doesn't want to anymore."

Shinji frowns, "Why not, mother?"

"It's complicated…and it involves things that are private to Patrick himself. He doesn't want to face reality anymore…Instead; he'd rather stay with his mother in Unit 04's S2 Core forever." Yui sighs sadly, "He's already begun to forget his previous life…"

"…Okay. I'll tell him in the morning then…" Shinji replies before smiling, "Can I get some sleep now?"

"Of course, Shinji," Yui smiles back before the imagery around him vanishes and his eyes look around his room before he sighs and falls asleep.

* * *

The next morning was not a good one for Commander Ikari, because he had to inform the U.N. about Sammael in order to continue their support. Fuyutsuki stood next to him as Commander Ikari picked up the phone and dials the phone before waiting as it rings. After the second ring, the phone is picked up and an old voice speaks. "Hello Commander Ikari. I expected a phone call from you." It was the representative from Switzerland, who had taken charge of the U.N. since the next Secretary-General had not been chosen. Truthfully, the U.N. was hesitant in choosing a new one after Varian was in charge.

"I have something to discuss with you." Commander Ikari stated in a monotone voice.

"I pulled some strings with the Nerv Base Commanders in Germany, Ikari. I KNOW about Sammael from SEELE's database." The old man replies in a flat voice. "What I find odd is that you didn't mention a word about it until now."

Gendo Ikari frowns slightly, "The situation was bleak at the time and I didn't want to concern you all with this matter until now."

"Ikari, the opponent is literally the Devil. I think this concerned EVERYONE the moment the Crimson Angels started their attack." The old man snapped before sighing. "The U.N. will continue to support you only because you brought us SEELE in chains…but if you hide something like this again, we'll have you put in a prison for your crimes." He pauses, "You've nearly rebuilt Unit 04. Do you have a pilot?"

"Yes, I do. However, it's a matter of whether or not he'll return."

The old man frowns, "What do you mean?"

Before Commander Ikari could answer, the door opens and Shinji walks into the room calmly. Gendo frowns before answering, "I'll explain later. Something has come up. Farewell." He hangs up before folding his hands in front of his face and staring calmly at the Third Child as the boy stops five meters from his desk. "Speak."

Shinji hesitates before speaking in a firm voice. "You need to bring Patrick back immediately."

Fuyutsuki stares at the Third Child in amazement. Shinji didn't ask his father to do this. He sounded like he was demanding him to do it. Ikari's eyes narrow, "Are you ordering me to do this?" He asked in a flat voice.

"No, I'm not." Shinji replies calmly, "I'm saying you need to bring Patrick back immediately or he'll never agree to leave his mother."

"Third Child, you can't just come barging in here and order Commander Ikari ar-" Fuyutsuki began but is cut off by Shinji.

"My mother wanted me to tell you to do this, father." Shinji snapped, causing Ikari's eyes to widen in amazement.

Fuyutsuki became silent at that announcement, as did Ikari. Finally, the Commander of Nerv broke the silence. "…How is Yui?" He asks in a soft voice.

"She's fine, but Patrick won't be if he isn't brought back soon."

"…I see. Fuyutsuki, tell Doctor Akagi to prepare to restore the Fifth Child's soul into his body immediately," Ikari orders.

"But Commander Ikari, if we do it this soon-" Fuyutsuki cuts off at the expression on Ikari's face and sighs, "Understood. I'll let her know immediately." He walks out of the room, but Shinji makes no action to leave yet.

"Do you need anything else, Shinji?" Ikari asks in a monotone voice.

"Yes. I think everyone should be trained to use their AT Field." Shinji replies hesitantly.

"I've already decided to do this later today." Commander Ikari replies calmly, "You, Rei and Asuka will be teaching the other pilots."

Shinji nods, "Thank you father." He turns towards the door and walks over to it.

"Shinji." Ikari's voice causes Shinji to pause in the middle of walking through the door and turn to his father. "Thank you."

Shinji smiles, "Your welcome." He walks out of the room and the door shuts behind him.

* * *

A/N: This chapter turned out semi-okay. In fact, it was less than 5000 words before I went over the chapter again. Anyways, see you all next time!

Read and Review!


	47. Of Love and Training

A/N: Four more chapters left! It's hard to believe it's been fourteen months since I started this story. Now, I have some things to discuss-

"You said Patrick would be brought back in the NEXT chapter, according to your outline." Asuka pointed out flatly.

"Give me a break." Vanpat muttered darkly, "Now, I'll go into detail about what I know about the First Ancestral Race-"

"I'll tell them." Rei states calmly before facing the audience. "The First Ancestral Race were the race of beings that spread Seeds of Life to various planets, creating life on multiple worlds. Within those Seeds of Life were a Progenitor of Life, Adam or Lilith, that created the Angels or the Lilim (humanity). Each Seed of Life carried a Spear of Longinus that would put a Progenitor of Life into stasis should it not follow their directive. However, unlike most worlds, someone wrong happened on this one. The Seed of Life containing Lilith impacted this world in an event called First Impact, which formed the Moon."

"The problem with this is the fact Adam's Seed of Life had also impacted on this world previous to that. In order to keep the peace, Adam's Spear of Longinus put Adam into stasis before Angel-based life could begin." Rei continues, "This allowed Lilith-based life, the Lilim (humanity), to develop on this world."

Vanpat nods, "That's right. Now comes the parts I edited to fit in my story." He stares at the audience, "The First Ancestral Race's objective was to spread life, but I added a second duty, which was to seal the 'Doorways' into the World of Darkness. In order to do this on multiple worlds, they created the Seeds of Life to both create life and have the Progenitor of Life use their Spear of Longinus to seal the Doorway. This method would effectively kill two birds with one stone."

"Obviously, I had Angel-based life develop until Sammael began messing with things he shouldn't, which forced God to bring down Lilith's Seed of Life in order to use HER Spear to seal the Doorway." Vanpat continued, "However, the Seal that Adam/God created wasn't perfect, as it wasn't HIS Spear he used, but he put his faith in humanity to solve the issue." He shrugs, "Other than that, there were no other changes."

"Good summary." Misato noted, "I take it that I'm stuck reading the Disclaimer?" The author smirks and nods at her, causing the Major to sigh before facing the audience. "Vanpat doesn't own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any way, shape, or form."

* * *

Rei sighs as she calmly sits with her legs crossed and wearing her plug suit on the lush grass in the Geofront with the other pilots standing with normal clothes on. Many of the pilots had confused expressions on their faces and were unsure as to why they were here, but Rei, Shinji and Asuka had serious expressions on their faces.

"Why are we here anyways?" Toji finally asked, "I wanted to spend some time with my sister."

"I wanted to spend some time with Toji and my sisters." Hikari added, looking slightly uncomfortable from the information Asuka told her about the school and the Eva Units.

Sarah was silent and deep in thought but Kensuke added his complaint as well. "I have a new videogame I want to play."

Rei sighs, "For the final battle, you'll need to close off your mind and heart so Sammael's influence doesn't affect you. To do this, you'll need to use your AT Fields."

Hikari frowns, now understanding why Rei called them out here. After all, she was fighting Varian's second form as well and knew how overpowering Sammael's influence was. However, the others didn't understand this and immediately began to protest. "Are you serious? How the hell can we use our own AT Fields?" Sarah demanded.

"Every one of you has the potential." Rei states in a firm voice. "Hikari was able to awaken her AT Field after being driven into an emotional corner by Shalock, but rather than fall into despair, her heart resounded with hope and love for her friends, which awoke her AT Field."

Toji, Sarah and Kensuke turn sharply to face Hikari in amazement, who blushed faintly. "I…I didn't even know that was my AT Field…It felt like something warm and soothing…"

"Back on topic…Hikari will be the easiest to train because her AT Field has already been awakened but…training you three will be an issue." Rei stares at Toji, Kensuke and Sarah as she said this. "Even if we awaken your AT Fields, it may take days for your body to stabilize after using it for the first time…However, because we're short on time, we'll be cheating with that. Shinji or Asuka will stabilize your AT Field after first using it so we can continue immediately."

"Hikari, as you have already have unlocked your AT Field, I'll begin training you how to use it. Shinji and Asuka will tutor you three in how to unlock your AT Field." Rei finishes talking before standing up and leading Hikari away from the group.

Hikari follows Rei with curiosity on her face, but doesn't speak to the First Child until out of earshot. "So, how will you be training me?" She asks curiously.

Rei doesn't answer Hikari until reaching a small clearing about twenty-five meters away from the others. "I'm going to teach you the same way I did with Shinji and Asuka." The First Child turns to face Hikari, "Show me your AT Field aura."

Hikari hesitates and nods, trying to focus on what she was doing in that exact moment she used her AT Field, but nothing happened. "I can't do it…" She whispers, "I did it fine before…"

'I see…she's the type that instinctively knows what to do, but cannot control it.' Rei thinks to herself, "Hikari, your emotional state is connected with your AT Field. It is possible to remove emotions from the equation but I won't be teaching you that. Your heart is filled with light and hope." She smiles, "In a way, your purity makes you the ideal person to use the AT Field aura."

Hikari looks down at the ground, closing her eyes and trying again. This time, a bright golden aura surrounds her body. It seemed slightly unstable and wings didn't form, but it was progress. "Excellent work Hikari," Rei smiles before her eyes widen as an unstable pressure is felt in the air. Feelings of despair and anger radiated from where the others were training. "No!" Rei shouted before a pure white aura surrounds her body and, with a flash of light, a miniature Spear of Longinus copy appears in her right hand. It is light grey in color and surrounded by a white aura. "I'll be right back, Hikari."

* * *

A Few Minutes Ago…

After the two pilots (Rei and Hikari) disappeared behind a clump of trees, Toji speaks out. "I still think this is pointless."

"Then you're an idiot." Asuka replied in a flat voice. "If you master this and use it while piloting your Evangelion, your sync will effectively double."

Toji blinks in surprise, "Oh…" He mutters. "So how do we use our AT Field?"

Asuka rolls her eyes, "This'll be tedious, won't it?" He mutters to herself before beginning her explanation of how using an AT Field feels like and concludes with… "The strength of your heart and your will determines how strong your AT Field aura becomes…Now, awakening the AT Field is difficult and tends to occur in tense or hectic situations, meaning doing this in a safe training environment will be a pain in the ass…"

"Okay, where are we supposed to start then?" Kensuke asked enthusiastically.

"She probably doesn't have any idea…" Toji mutters, causing Kensuke to nod hesitantly.

"Shinji, I have an idea." Asuka smiles evilly as a golden aura surrounds her body but it doesn't go farther than that. "Forget a safe training environment…I'm going to force these idiots to bring out their AT Field out of threat of death." The aura becomes slightly orange-reddish in color as her eyes have a tinge of red coloring in them.

"Um, do you think that's really necessary?" Shinji asks hesitantly, "Why not try to get them to-"

He didn't even finish his statement before Asuka appears in front of Toji and kicks him in the chest, knocking him backwards about five feet and causing the jock to land on his back. "Get up stooge." Asuka taunts, "I'll even hold back against you, Kensuke, and Sarah…If I was serious, you'd be dead right now."

The other two pilots look shaken at how serious Asuka looked right now. Asuka smirks as Toji struggles to his feet and charges straight at the redhead before launching his right fist at her face. She catches his fist with her right hand and grabs his arm with her left hand before throwing him over her shoulder and onto the ground. "Damn you…" Toji growled out painfully, his body feeling sore from being pushed around so easily.

"Hey! Stop going after Toji like that!" Kensuke shouted before charging straight at the Second Child before she vanishes and reappears to his right, sticking her leg out and tripping Kensuke so he hit the grass. "Ouch…"

Sarah looks shaken before Asuka vanished and reappeared behind her, only to slam her arm into Sarah's back and launching her a few feet and causing her face to hit the ground. "Come on, you three…" Asuka actually sounded bored with this, "I'm going to get bored with holding back sooner or later."

Shinji frowns, still against doing this but knowing Asuka's idea WAS the best one…However, he had a way to boost the chance of them pulling this off more easily. "Toji, Kensuke, Sarah…Think about emotionally painful experiences and defy the tragic events that occurred. Refuse to let those things happen with all your heart."

Toji remembers how Unit 03 was possessed by the Thirteenth Angel and remembers how helpless he felt as Unit 03 tore Asuka's and Rei's Evangelions apart with ease and tried to kill Unit 01 and Shinji. Memories of how his sister Akira and her girlfriend Hikari were hurt because of the Evangelions, whether directly or indirectly.

Kensuke frowns as his memories of how his friends were hurt by the Angels and Crimson Angels. His painful experiences weren't as severe as the other pilots' experiences, so his AT Field didn't even faintly respond.

Sarah shuddered violently as her memories of Patrick's fate reached her mind…and then, the chilling vision she had last night reverberates in her mind. 'No…not again…'

Asuka sighs before appearing in front of Kensuke and kicking him square in the chest, knocking him onto his back. "Get your act together." She states in a flat voice before catching Toji's fist, the air around his body seeming to shimmer slightly. "A bit better…but not good enough, stooge." She deflects his fist downwards before spinning on one foot and kicking Toji in his side, which sent him face first into the ground before the redhead glances at Sarah.

Sarah couldn't stop the images of her new friends or even her own death from appearing in her mind as the nightmare she saw continuously replayed in her mind. "No…" She whispers tearfully as she clutches the sides of her head with both hands.

Asuka appears in front of the Sixth Child. "Still not good enough…all you're doing is remembering the painful events, not defying them." She watches as Sarah's hands are fall to her sides before clutching into fists and shaking uncontrollably before the redhead kicks Sarah back, but rather than fall down, the brunette was pushed back. 'Huh?'

Sarah's head tilted upwards and stared at Asuka, who took in a sharp breath at the very dark red aura (almost black) surrounding Sarah's body. Her eyes were the same color as her aura and tears were streaming down from her eyes. "…You bitch…" Sarah whispers with a feeling of pure despair in that voice before she levels a cold glare at Asuka, who would have normally violently flinched at that expression if her AT Field aura was not up. Asuka's eyes widened as Sarah vanishes and reappears right in front of her before she throws a punch straight at her chest.

Asuka catches the punch with her right hand, causing a shockwave of energy to fire out from the point of contact. 'What's going on…?' Asuka wonders as the nearly black aura acts violently and lashes out at the redhead but her own aura protects her. 'Damnit…Did I go overboard with her?'

"…Back off, Asuka…" Sarah whispers before two demonic wings appear on her back and they fire a shockwave of energy at the Second Child, blasting her back five meters before she faces Toji and Kensuke, who flinch violently at her glare. "…You two-" Suddenly, a bright white spear stabs straight into Sarah's side, causing her to gasp softly in pain as her dark red aura vanishes and she collapses onto her left side with her eyes now closed.

Rei flies down with two white angelic wings and lands next to Asuka before turning to glare at the redhead. "You overdid it…" She stated in a flat voice, managing to make Asuka look a bit guilty as Hikari rushes into the clearing and gasps in shock at the white spear stabbed in Sarah's side.

"What did you do, Rei?" Toji shouted after recovering from the shock. "You just stabbed her!"

"Calm down…" Rei mutters before walking over and pulling the white spear out of Sarah, the lower half splitting into two prongs and the light fading away to reveal a miniature light grey Spear of Longinus in Rei's right hand with not even a scratch on Sarah's body. "All I did was knock her out…but she won't be waking up for a couple of hours because of that stunt of yours, Asuka."

"What the hell even happened?" Asuka finally demanded.

"Pushing her into an emotional corner is the easiest way to awaken an AT Field, but it's too risky to be practical." Rei states in a firm voice as the miniature Spear of Longinus vanishes into thin air. "If you put them in that state and they can't overcome it, then they'll form a dark aura and it'll be more difficult for them to be trained with the AT Field…" She sighs, "What were you thinking?"

"It was Shinji's idea!" Asuka snapped angrily.

"…Shinji…" Rei turns to glare at the Third Child, "Is this true?"

"Well…yes but I thought it was a good idea. I mean, it worked with Hikari, right?" Shinji said hesitantly, looking slightly embarrassed.

Rei shakes her head sadly. "This will be harder than I thought…" She mutters.

* * *

Doctor Akagi frowns at the fully regenerated body of the Fifth Child, sharply reminded about Rei's unnatural development and realizing this would be the second hybrid of human DNA merged with Angel DNA that she would be handling. Whether normal Angel or Crimson Angel, both were similar enough to allow her to understand how to deal with Patrick. There was a big problem, however. Rei's body was stable despite the merge because her soul was that of Lilith's, hence why she could coexist with human DNA.

What she thought was odd about Rei is that she began to develop emotions, which caught her curiosity immediately, and she occasionally did a DNA check on her. She was shocked to discover that her body no longer possessed an S2 Core and, in fact, her Angel DNA was slowly changing into human DNA. Currently, it was 78.4% human DNA and 21.6% Angel DNA. This decrease in Angel DNA was part of the reason her AT Field was weaker than before Third Impact. The other reason was that she no longer possessed Lilith's soul, but her own, meaning her AT Field was now human-based rather than Angel-based, which allowed her to use an AT Field aura, an ability she could not possess without a human soul.

Ritsuko sighs as Maya, with an expression of disapproval directed at her, activates the LCL draining procedure and removes the Fifth Child's altered body, placing it on a stretcher and closing his eyelids with a shudder. "I'm sorry, Maya…I hate doing this as much as you do…" She mutters before checking over the lifeless body. "I'll deal with putting clothes on him. You prepare the entry plug and Unit 04."

Maya nods gratefully before leaving the room. She hated this, despite Ritsuko's assurance that they had to do this. 'Again…how many times are you and Commander Ikari planning to play God?' She wonders sadly.

* * *

Rei sighs as she sits on a nearby rock and stares at the collapsed and unconscious forms of Toji and Kensuke, the white aura around her body vanishing. 'They've awakened…' She notes wearily before glancing at Hikari, a golden aura around her body but no wings formed yet as she spars with Asuka…or rather, she dodges the redhead's attacks with ease, the Second Child obviously holding back.

"Shinji, go over to the both of them and stabilize their AT Fields." Rei whispers, causing the boy to nod before walking over to Kensuke and crouching down next to him. He hesitantly places his right hand against Kensuke's back and closes his eyes before a purple aura surrounds the Third Child's body, which transfers to the sleeping boy. Shinji opens his eyes, now purple in color, and can clearly see Kensuke's unstable AT Field.

'Slowly Shinji…' Yui mutters, 'Doing this with Asuka was easier because of your strong connection and because the boundary between the both of you has been broken before…with Kensuke, you'll need to do this manually.' Shinji's mother begins directing her son on how to repair an AT Field. She also emphasized that the stronger the emotional connection with someone, the easier it becomes to repair the AT Field.

Shinji breathes heavily as he withdraws his hand, Toji's AT Field now completely stabilized. 'That was exhausting…' He thinks to himself. 'I still need to fix Toji's AT Field too…'

'Take a break, darling.' Yui replies, 'It would be a better idea to let Hikari fix Toji's AT Field. She's closer to him emotionally AND she needs the practice.'

"Good point…" Rei mutters before looking at Asuka and Hikari. "Asuka, that's enough for now…Hikari, go over to Toji and stabilize his AT Field."

"Eh?" Hikari blinks with surprise, "Um, I don't know if I can do that though…"

"It's time to check if you can do it." She pauses, "By the way, the more physical contact you have with him, the better it will be."

Hikari blushes before walking over to Toji and sitting down next to him. She looks at the others, "Umm, could you please look away?" They all turn away and, blushing deeper red in color, Hikari surrounds her body with a golden AT Field aura before lifting and leaning Toji's back against her chest and having him (effectively) sit in her lap. She smiles gently before turning his head towards hers as she leans her head over his left shoulder before touching her lips against his. This was her first kiss with Toji, even though he was out cold, which caused her blushing as her golden aura spread from her body and over Toji's body, now shifting to golden white in color.

Toji's eyes flutters slightly before slowly opening and, believing he was dreaming, kissed her back deeply on the lips. Hikari didn't care if the others were around and watching, though. She wanted this kiss for so long and wrapped her arms around his chest and closes her eyes as she kissed him back passionately on the lips. "Ehem…" Kensuke coughs, currently sitting up and watching the two of them make out. "Toji, if you want to spend the night with Hikari, I can always sleep in Shinji's room." He smirks as both of their faces became as red as ripe cherries, Toji's blush from realizing this WASN'T a dream and Hikari's blush from the implications Kensuke just brought up.

They quickly broke their lip lock and shouted in unison with deep blushes on their faces. "Shut up, Kensuke!"

Asuka was the only one who actually turned around at that line and smiled at Hikari after realizing what they just did (especially after considering their positions). "Okay Kensuke, let it go. We all have training we need to do."

"Fine, fine…" Kensuke shrugged before standing up and stretching his body. "God, my body feels sore…" Toji nods in agreement, regretfully breaking away from Hikari and standing up, his blush slowly fading away. Shinji and Rei turn back to face the others.

Sarah slowly opens her eyes and groans in pain, _"Ugh…what the hell happened?"_ She moaned painfully in English before yawning loudly and looking around. "Huh? Why was I sleeping on the floor?" She then notices the embarrassment on the faces of Toji and Hikari. "Did I miss something?" Sarah asked impishly.

"Hikari just kissed Toji." Kensuke shrugs, causing the two of them to blush deeply and look away. "He seemed to enjoy it a lot and kissed her back quite fiercely before she did the same-" He regretted saying that after Hikari kicks him on the back and turns away.

"I missed that?" Sarah complained before wincing on pain. "Ouch…I feel like I was stabbed in the chest…"

"Blame Rei for that…" Toji mutters, earning a glare from the First Child.

"I apologize for that, Sarah. Your AT Field woke up but you went berserk…" Rei replies, 'In fact…your berserk state was stronger than Patrick's was…' She adds mentally. "I used my AT Field to suppress your AT Field."

"But…all you did was stab Sarah with a miniature Lance copy, right?" Shinji asked hesitantly. Sarah glares at Rei after hearing that.

"Not quite. That was merely a physical form of my AT Field. You can create a weapon with your AT Field…and it will resemble and define your 'will.' However, I saw no real reason to teach you or Asuka about it…in fact, there is no reason to teach you that." Rei notes.

"Why not?" Asuka complains.

"The final battle will involve the Evangelions…meaning that your physical bodies will play no role except as a way to synchronize with the Evangelions." Rei replies in a firm voice. "There's no practical reason to teach you something you'll never use."

A few of them (Asuka included) mutter complaints about this but let it go. "Now that everyone's AT Field is unlocked, it's a matter of training you to use it effectively." Rei states calmly. "In order to speed up your training, Shinji will train Toji and Kensuke while Asuka trains Hikari and Sarah. I will observe and give out pointers as we go along. Now, try to create an aura around your body with your AT Field."

Rei watches as Hikari creates a stable golden aura around her body but not a hint of wings present on her back. Toji's aura was a reddish-orange in color with a hint of red coloring in his eyes, but his aura was almost completely stable. Kensuke's aura was orange in color with not a hint of red coloring in his eyes but his aura was very unstable. Sarah's aura was blood red and her eyes were the same color, but her aura was completely stable.

"Think of positive emotions. Love, compassion, friendship…don't focus on negative emotions…" Rei advises them as she stares at Sarah in case she goes berserk again.

'Patrick…' Sarah closes her eyes and puts the premonitions of the bleak future out of her mind and focuses on the memories she had with Patrick. Her aura shifts from blood red to a reddish-orange color, her eyes open and only a tinge of red is present in them.

Toji blushes and remembers how soft Hikari's lips were when they were pressed against his own and, much to Rei's surprise, his aura becomes golden in color with two angelic wings, his eyes were normal in coloration but his aura was still unstable.

Kensuke's aura changes color slightly, now golden-orange in coloration and not a hint of red coloring in his eyes. Hikari blushes as she remembers the same thing Toji did; her aura was now golden white and her eyes deep purple in coloration, but her aura was slightly unstable and two angelic wings were on her back. 'She reached that level already?' Rei thinks to herself in amazement. 'She's progressing even faster than Shinji and Asuka were with this.'

"Emotional state is part of using your AT Field. The second part is your resolve…or your 'will.'" Rei continues her explanation. "The stronger your will, the more stable your AT Field will become. Doubts and hesitation will only hinder your abilities. Now, strengthen your will."

Rei wasn't surprised to see no changes in Hikari or Toji, but did notice Sarah's aura became slightly unstable and Kensuke's aura stabilized to the same point as Sarah. 'I see…Hikari is close to achieving the perfected state…I underestimated how strong my fellow pilots are.' Rei closes her eyes slowly before opening them. 'However…'

"It's time to test how effective you'll be in combat with this state. Shinji, you'll engage Toji and Kensuke in combat while Asuka will fight Hikari and Sarah." The pilots all stare at her in amazement. "However, this is merely training in order to improve how long you can keep your AT Field up and keep it under control while in combat."

"Do we have to?" Kensuke complains as Shinji is surrounded by a golden aura. "I don't want to fight Shinji."

"If you have problems fighting Shinji, then I'LL fight you." Asuka snapped as a golden aura surrounds her body. "We aren't fighting seriously…but instead, we're trying to get everyone to be able to use their AT Fields for long periods of time…no one likes doing this, you stooge, but we have to."

"Actually, let's stop for today." Rei suddenly said calmly, causing the redhead to glare at her.

"What did you say? I just got everyone pumped up to do this and you say, 'Oh sorry, never mind.'" Asuka snapped angrily as her aura vanishes.

"Sorry Asuka, but I didn't expect everyone to advance this far so quickly…and I think we should stop for today. It occurred to me that using your AT Field so soon after awakening may have negative side-effects, so let's stop for today." Rei sighs, trying to hide her own weariness.

"Fine…" Asuka muttered, "Everyone can do whatever they want now…" The AT Field users in training decide to leave quickly before Rei changed her mind.

* * *

Unit 04 now resembled its original form from before Third Impact and the destruction of the Nerv Branch in Nevada. It was white with red and black highlights. Ritsuko sighs as the Entry Plug is inserted into Unit 04, which is mostly rebuilt except for its left arm and part of its right hand. She was against doing this so soon but Ikari was adamant about this. When she inquired to the reason, Ikari told her about Yui speaking to the Third Child. She knew it was theoretically possible for the soul of the Eva to speak with the Eva Pilot…but she never thought it would actually happen. The internal visual logs of the Evas were damaged in their fight against Varian, but Yui's voice was clearly heard in the audio recording, as was Kyoko's voice.

Ritsuko remembered what Yui's voice said about Chivalt's sword and, when she put that theory into the Magi, it was 99.47% certain. That was enough to work with for Doctor Akagi. Based on an explanation that the Magi provided, Unit 0'1s sword incorporated both the abilities of piercing AT Fields with ease from the Spear of Longinus copy, and that ability was enhanced by Unit 07's shield, which held the shards of adamantine that Gormarc possessed. Even though the two items themselves were destroyed, their powers and abilities were completely transferred to Chivalt's sword.

Hikari lost her shield, but gained Varian's Crimson Angel weapon. The cross was fully capable of allowing the user to infuse their AT Field into it and be able to project an Absolute Territory Field with ease. The crossbow was similar to the one Maya programmed into the Magi when they had to deal with Shalock, but it was much stronger and had a greater rate of fire.

Ritsuko wondered how strong Chivalt's sword would become if it absorbed the abilities from the other Crimson Angel weapons, but she had other matters to focus on at the moment as she stared down into the Eva observation room with Unit 04 put under heavy restraint in case it went berserk. Maya still had an expression of disapproval on her face, which REALLY made Ritsuko uneasy. She hated doing this as much as Maya, but she didn't have many options. Ikari likely felt the same way, as he refused to observe the Fifth Child's revival, but he saw the necessity in having as many Evangelions on their side as possible…and the best candidate they had was Patrick Luminaire. With Crimson Angel DNA in his body, he could easily sync with Unit 04 and use his AT Field to its fullest extent without tiring in the slightest. In that regard, he was similar to Tabris but unlike the Angel, Patrick wouldn't be able to maintain his humanity for too long in combat. This was a gamble.

"Maya, start the program. We're bringing the Fifth Child back immediately." Ritsuko orders in a firm voice.

Maya sighs and nods, "Understood, Doctor Akagi."

Misato frowns from her chair in the room and glances at the other technicians, most of them unaware that Patrick's days were numbered in this world. In fact, most of them didn't even see Patrick's altered body yet. "Rits, are you sure we should be doing this?" The guardian of the first three Children was shocked to discover that Yui Ikari could speak with her son, which was information she received from Doctor Akagi. "We're bringing a kid back just to die…"

"I don't like it either…but the Magi calculated our chances of success even at the best case scenario…" Ritsuko mutters darkly, "You don't want to know how bad it was, Misato…trust me. Right now, we need Patrick's help in this fight. It would take too long to train another pilot and still be effective enough in combat."

"Fine…" Misato grumbled before looking at the time. 12:06. "Assuming this even works, what will you do with him? Patrick can't just roam around the base because the other pilots will realize who he is, even if his appearance is different…and Sarah will be able to feel that it's him."

"We'll worry about that after he's brought back, Misato." Ritsuko muttered. "Maya, is the program ready?" She just nods, "Good, let's bring him back now."

* * *

The lush, green park was filled with trees and two people, a mother and her child, sat calmly on the bench. The mother was reading her son a book while the blue eyed and messy haired boy listened intently. Diana smiles gently before she stops reading and close the book. "Patrick, it's time to return…" She whispers gently to her son.

"I don't wanna go, Mommy!" Patrick protested and he clung to her arm. "I want to stay with you where it's safe!" A while halo appears in the sky and begins to pull Patrick up into the air but his mother remains unaffected, "Mommy, I'm not leaving here! You can't make me!" He shouted as he clung to her arm more tightly.

* * *

"The pilot's soul is rejecting the revival program!" Maya reported as error messages appeared on her computers.

"Increase the power input." Ritsuko orders firmly.

"But Doctor Akagi, that's above the safety-"

"That's an order, Maya." Ritsuko cuts her subordinate off.

* * *

"I hate this! I don't want to return to a world where I feel nothing but pain!" Patrick shouted as the suction pulling him into the air becomes stronger. "There's nothing but sadness out there!"

"You're wrong, Patrick." Diana states calmly, "There's things other than despair in the world…You have friends and family waiting for you out there…"

"I don't care!" Patrick screamed, "I'd rather stay with you here…I don't want to leave you!"

"I feel the same way, love…but I'll always watch over you…" Diana whispers soothingly, "Just let go and return to where you belong…"

Patrick begins to cry. "Why…why do I have to choose something like this…I've missed you for so long…I cried every day for a year after you died…I don't want to lose you again! There's no one more important to me than you are out there!"

* * *

Ritsuko swears as the alarms go off, announcing that they've gone above the safety measures to try and bring this kid back yet he STILL wouldn't return. 'Are we too late…?'

Suddenly, a young girl's voice shouts over the intercom in the Eva observation room and inside Unit 04. "Patrick, get your sorry ass out here before I drag your soul out of that Eva myself, you jerk!"

Everyone in the room sweatdrops at the sight of Sarah in the Eva Cage with a headset on and shouting into it. "How the hell did she get in there?" Ritsuko demanded angrily.

* * *

"You idiot, idiot, IDIOT!" Sarah's voice reverberates throughout the park.

Patrick smiles softly with tears in his eyes, "She never changes, does she…" He whispers softly.

"You see Patrick? People are still waiting for you…Sarah's waiting for you." Diana smiles gently as she rises to her feet and lifts her arm. "Sarah is more important to you than I am in your heart…so let go of me and return to her side."

Patrick's tears drop down his face before smiling happily at his mother. "…Okay Mommy…but I swear I'll come back for you…no matter what. Okay?" Diana smiles and nods before Patrick's 5 year old form is surrounded by light and fades away to reveal his 15 year old form before Varkon took over Unit 04. "It's a promise…Mom…" He lets go and lets his body be pulled through the halo before it vanishes.

'I'll always watch over you, Patrick…' Diana whispers.

* * *

"His soul returned to the body!" Maya shouted, quickly doing a scan on him.

"Is his soul rejecting the body?" Ritsuko's primary worry after pulling Patrick out is whether or not the soul would coexist with his Crimson Angel DNA altered body.

"No sign of rejection…and it looks like the rate that the Crimson Angel DNA has been spreading just dropped." Maya looked shocked. "He could last over a month at this rate as long as he lives normally…"

"I see…eject the entry plug and have him pulled out of there…" Ritsuko mutters before leaving the room and heading for the Eva Cage while lost in thought, 'How did Sarah figure out what we were doing…?'

"Rei told her." Tabris states calmly from behind her. Ritsuko flinches slightly from the Angel popping in out of nowhere. "It didn't help that she could use her abilities with her AT Field to find out where Patrick's soul was…"

"So it looks like I'm going to have to deal with these kids coming after me for keeping this a secret…" Ritsuko sighs before facing the Angel. "Is there any particular reason you've showed up besides telling me this?"

"Sort of." Tabris shrugs, "I came to inform you that when I woke up the other children earlier than they should have after the battle of Tokyo-03, I decided to make it so it would be easier to unlock their AT Fields and master the use of them quicker."

Ritsuko's eyes narrow. "Why didn't you tell me sooner then?"

"Because it wasn't necessary at the time. Certain information shouldn't be pondered about, but it should be used immediately when told." Tabris states in a calm voice. "Now, I'll tell you one last thing. In fifteen days, there will be an unscheduled solar eclipse at noon. At that moment, the Doorway will be opened and Sammael will be freed. You knew only the day and time, but not the event…but that's all I'll say. Farewell." He vanishes into thin air.

Ritsuko sighs, "I feel like I'm being pulled around by a string…" She mutters before remembering she wanted to do a checkup on Patrick and rushes over to the Eva cage.

* * *

A/N: If you didn't notice, I added a reference to the manga Neon Genesis Evangelion: Gakuen Datenroku. The reference in question was Rei wielding that Spear of Longinus (which acted as her 'Eva') and I'd go into more detail but that would take too long. Anyways, it seems the final Pilot is back in working order…sort of. One more chapter until the final battle. Let's see how that turns out, shall we?

Read and Review!


	48. The Beginning of the End

A/N: This will be the last chapter that covers the training of the Eva Pilots. I'm cutting out most of it for two reasons. One, it'd be time consuming. Two, I'd rather show you what they've learn in the final battle.

"Make sense…" Asuka shrugs, "Anyways, whose turn is it to read the Disclaimer?"

"Well-" Vanpat didn't have the opportunity to speak as Sarah hugs him so tightly that it cuts off his air circulation. "Guh…I know…you're happy…but don't…KILL me!"

"Oh, sorry…" Sarah looks embarrassed before rushing over to Patrick and jumping on him. "You're going to stick around out of responsibility this time." She states firmly.

"Here's a tip Patrick." Asuka smirks, "If you get yourself killed again, Sarah will personally drag your soul back to Earth just to kill you herself." The Fifth Child swallows hard and nervously looks at the brunette, who just nods in agreement before pinning him to the ground.

"Oi! Ikari! Front and center!" Vanpat orders, the light in the far side of the room coming up to reveal Commander Ikari sitting in his desk.

"Let me just say that I am doing this under protest." Ikari growls as he glares at the author, who glibly ignores him. "The author does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any physical or mental way. He is not affiliated with Gainax in any way, shape or form and this story is merely his rambling come to see the light of day."

Vanpat growls as Asuka laughs at Ikari's statement. "Mein Gott, he's absolutely correct about it too."

"Whatever…let's just start the story…" Vanpat grumbles sourly.

* * *

The first thing that greeted the fifteen year old boy was Sarah's head as she hugged him tightly in the entry plug. His appearance had been altered by Crimson Angel DNA, artificially aging his body and changing his eye color, which was now a shade of deep purple and his hair was now grey in color. '…Coming back for your body, you brat?' A quiet voice echoes in Patrick's mind. 'Returning here is a death sentence for you. My master, Sammael, is nearly freed and when he arrives, you all will die. I don't even need to take control of your body now. You'll lose anyways.'

Waking up to a hug from his beloved and a death threat from his new mental roommate is quite the way to start your life back up in Patrick's opinion. He decided to retort, 'We won't lose. I'm not certain what's been happening but tell your master that the one who will lose is him.' The voice suddenly became silent.

"You're a complete idiot, Patrick…" Sarah sobbed against his chest as her arms squeezed his body against hers before pulling her head away to look at him. "God, you look terrible…" She whispers tearfully. "But…even though you look different, you still feel like the person I love."

"Sorry to worry you…" Patrick whispers, his voice sounding deeper than his original voice. "…And I don't really have a mirror but I'd probably have to agree with you." He chuckles before blushing as Sarah kisses his full on the lips. It wasn't some chaste kiss either, but a deep and passionate one.

Sarah slowly pulls away, "Don't you DARE leave me again, okay?" She stared fiercely at the Fifth Child as if daring him to say yes or else.

"Sarah Elenor, get away from him right now!" Ritsuko snapped as a security guard dragged her out of the entry plug. "What the hell are you THINKING? You knocked out TWO guards, stole a headset, and went into the Eva Cage during a potentially dangerous test!"

"Let it go, Doctor Akagi…" Patrick replies for Sarah as he climbs out of the entry plug and wearing a plug suit that was identical in design to Kaworu's plug suit. The two guards with her flinch slightly at the Fifth Child's appearance and the one holding onto Sarah lets go of her while the other nervously holds onto his gun hilt from his holster. "If she didn't do that, I wouldn't have decided to return…in THIS body." He looks down with annoyance, "What's been going on since I've been…" He lets his statement trail off as Sarah hugs him tightly again.

"Stand down, you two." Ritsuko orders the two guards with her. The second concern she had about the Fifth Child after he returned to his body was the possibility that the Crimson Angel could overtake his soul and body immediately, forcing them to fight him again. This possibility was slim, but she didn't want to take any chances. "How do you feel?"

Patrick chuckles, "Well…my body feels as stiff as a board and my brain feels like its half asleep right now…because I can't really think of anything big right now." He breathes out slowly. "So…did I miss anything?"

"Varian attacked us with an army of MP Evas. SEELE and a human-form Crimson Angel named Loriana sided with us and defeated his miniature army and his personal Evangelion, Unit-S01. We counterattacked Varian at his base of operations, took out the last two Crimson Angels, and found out we have to fight Sammael, the Devil himself, in fifteen days at noon." Ritsuko summed up the recent events the Fifth Child missed.

Patrick blinks a few times, "Okay…I understood about half of that…" He mutters softly, "Sorry, I did say my brain was half asleep right now…" He yawns loudly as he stretches, "God, I'm tired…"

"You were stuck in an Eva for weeks, Patrick. How are you even tired?" Sarah demanded.

"His mind and body are exhausted after all this time from not using them." Ritsuko answered for the Fifth Child, "He'll need to begin exercising his mind and body so he'll be back in shape."

"I'm overjoyed…" Patrick grumbled. "Wait, you knocked out two guards?" He stared down at Sarah curiously. "How'd you manage to do that?"

Sarah managed to look embarrassed, "Oh, well…I did this…" She closes her eyes and a slightly unstable orange aura surrounded her body.

Patrick stares in amazement before clutching his head painfully. "Okay…my head officially hurts from trying to process all of this…" He moaned painfully, "Can I just go home so I can lie down?"

"Sorry, but Tokyo-03 was pretty much wrecked from The Battle of Tokyo-03." Ritsuko replies calmly, "You'll be staying with Shinji in his room after I give you a checkup."

"Okay…Sarah, can you take me to Ritsuko's office and my room?" Patrick asks softly, to which the brunette nods. "Thanks…"

* * *

Misato kept a firm hold on Asuka's and Serena's shoulders, both of which were furious at the news about Patrick. She was grateful Sarah refused to leave Patrick's side, because she wouldn't have been able to stop all three of them. Ritsuko was calmly sitting in her computer chair inside her office, staring at the three guests. "I take it that you're here about Patrick, right?"

"You bitch." Asuka snapped, "You've been playing God again?" Frankly, the redhead was angry about this earlier but Shinji convinced her not to say a word about it after finding out from Varian. However, after seeing what he looked like, she was furious for two reasons. One, Ritsuko decided to hide this from just about everyone and forced people to deal with the grief of losing a fellow pilot. Two, she had the gall to play God by keeping him alive just to die in the end. Misato told Asuka about Patrick's eventual fate after the redhead questioned her, causing her to storm down to Ritsuko's office to tear her apart. Serena, luckily, didn't know about that part yet.

"More to the point, you've been hiding the fact he was alive?" Serena looked angry as she said this. "Do you understand how most of us felt when we thought he died? YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO HIDE THIS FROM US!" Asuka kept her lips shut at that statement, understanding that Doctor Akagi knew he'd die either way so it was probably better to grieve now rather than later.

"Did you see his body?" Ritsuko snapped, "As of now, he's barely alive. I don't know how long his soul will willingly remain attached that that altered body...Which was thanks to Varkon."

Serena glares angrily before breaking free of Misato's grip and storming out of the room. After she leaves and is out of earshot, Asuka speaks out. "He'll die eventually and yet you played God, dragging his soul into a ticking time bomb. What the fuck is your problem?"

"Shut up, Second Child." Ritsuko growls, "I can easily have you put in a cell for insubordination."

"Actually, that's out of your jurisdiction." Misato cuts into the argument. "Asuka, tell the other Pilots about Patrick's situation and tell them not to go after Doctor Akagi or Commander Ikari about this." Asuka looked like she was going to protest but stops after seeing Misato's expression.

"Fine…" Asuka muttered before leaving the room.

Ritsuko sighed. "That could have gone better…" She noted before turning to the computer screen.

"You played God. Frankly, I expected Serena to at least slap you, Rits." Misato pointed out as she leaned against the wall. "So, how long would Patrick last in actual combat?"

"The Magi theorize a 97.04% chance that he'll last at least fifteen minutes in combat at his best." Ritsuko replied calmly, "Anything after that would depend of Patrick's willpower to resist Varkon's influence."

"Assuming Varkon doesn't decide to side with us." Misato noted frankly. "Rits, be honest with me. Has Patrick become a human-form Crimson Angel?"

Ritsuko becomes deathly quiet. "Theoretically, he has become one…but unlike the others, the human is in control rather than the Crimson Angel."

"You mean like Loriana and Chivalt?" Misato questioned.

"Close, but there's a big difference…Unlike those two, Patrick is forcing himself to stay in control and refusing to accept the Crimson Angel's influence…Yet, he is able to tap into his powers."

"Wait, what powers?" Misato demanded, interrupting Doctor Akagi.

"He can tap into the memories of the people around him, as well as what they are feeling at the moment." Ritsuko looks annoyed at being interrupted. "Anyways, at the same time, the Crimson Angel is refusing to accept having Patrick in control or willingly grant him any abilities, so the memories Patrick gets from others will be scattered and unfocused." Ritsuko frowns, "To put it simply, they're like two positively charged magnets being forcefully pulled together rather than being pushed apart."

"I see…" Misato sighs sadly, "Well, I'll keep an eye on him and try to keep the other pilots from going after you about this." She walks through the open door. "Seeya, Rits."

* * *

Shinji yawns and opens the door of his room, only to stare in amazement at the young man lying down in the spare bed in the room with Sarah and Serena hovering over the sleeping pilot, who was now dressed in a white shirt and dark grey pants. "Huh?" He finally managed to spit out, "Why are all of you in my room?" Shinji had not received the news from Asuka yet, so he had no idea WHAT was going on.

"Oh, sorry Shinji…" Sarah regretfully turns away from Patrick and stares at the Third Child. "Me and Serena are just watching over Patrick."

…What?

Shinji looks at the boy, resisting a shudder at the sight of the outfit that was nearly identical to Kaworu's own clothing on the young man and focuses instead on his features. Sure, he vaguely resembled Patrick but- 'Shinji that really is Patrick.' Yui interrupts Shinji's thoughts out of nowhere. 'Varkon's Crimson Angel DNA has altered his body heavily.'

'…Okay.' Shinji knew there had to be more to it but decided not to pursue it. "Um, okay…I was about to listen to some music but-"

Oh, sorry…" Serena apologizes, "Come on Sarah. It's past lunchtime and we should get something to eat." She had to half-pull/half-drag Sarah out of the room before closing the door, leaving Shinji alone with the Fifth Child.

One of the boy's eyes opens slightly, revealing their color was deep purple. "Good…they're gone now…" Patrick sighs, "Hello Shinji."

Shinji blinks, "Is that really you Patrick?" He asked curiously. It wasn't that he didn't trust his mother, but he did want some confirmation.

"Last time I checked, my name was Patrick…though I'm not surprised you asked that question, Shinji." Patrick has both eyes open now before he sits up, wincing slightly from pain. "God, my body feels unused…and sore…I'm really not looking forward to getting it back into shape or getting used to it."

"How are you doing?" Shinji asks softly after he sit on his own bed and picks up his SDAT player from the headboard.

"I just told you, didn't I?" Patrick chuckles, "My body is as sore as hell and my mind is half asleep right now…but I STILL can't get any sleep."

"I meant emotionally." Shinji corrects himself, causing the Fifth Child to frown.

"Uneasy, afraid, sad, angry…and a whole host of others so I'll just sum it up with three words. I'm emotionally unstable."

Shinji nods, "How was it inside the Eva?"

Patrick froze, "…Peaceful, serene…I never wanted to leave my Mother's side…" He sighed sadly, "Sarah called out to me and I decided to return for her sake, at least…"

Shinji hesitated, "Try using your AT Field to restore your body."

"No. If I use that, Varkon could easily take me over again…" Patrick whispers fearfully.

Shinji breathed in sharply, "He's still alive?"

"Yeah…Only when this body is eradicated completely will he die…" Patrick closes his eyes sadly, "I'm afraid, Shinji. I shouldn't have come back…"

"Maybe you came back for a reason." Shinji suggested, "It might not even have been for Sarah, either…but for your own sake."

"Maybe…" Patrick sighs before smiling faintly, "I feel a little better now, thanks…Can you tell me what's been going on lately? Ritsuko gave me too much information to process earlier and I think I'm awake enough to understand. Don't give me a brief summary, either. I want the full story."

Shinji nods and begins recounting the recent events. All the way from the Battle of Tokyo-03 to Varian and Loriana. Shinji was just about to get to SEELE when the door shot open and Asuka stood standing there.

"Shinji, I've been looking everywhere for-" Asuka cuts off after seeing Patrick. "…Oh, I guess you already know then…Anyways, it's almost dinnertime and I'd rather have you cook the food than those idiots in the Nerv kitchen. I swear to God, they really need to take cooking lessons from you." She hesitates, "Um, Patrick right?" The Fifth Child nods, "I'm guessing that you're hungry so…would you like to join us for dinner? Everyone already knows about your situation-"

"You told them that I'll eventually die, right?" Patrick interrupts the redhead, who scowls at his statement.

"I did…but how did you know?"

"I'm not an idiot, Asuka." Patrick replies in a flat voice, "Considering that bastard is in my body, it was easy to hear his little death threat that he gave me. Also, I liked your earlier terminology of a 'ticking time bomb'." Patrick blinks after that statement and frowns.

"Huh? I only said that to Ritsuko…How did you…?" Asuka looked baffled.

Patrick hesitated, "I don't know…I just knew for some reason…" He shakes his head, "Anyways, Shinji was busy explaining what I've missed in my 'absence' of sorts." Oddly enough, he could also seem to see these memories in his mind as well as process them in his mind. 'Note to self: Pay attention to Doctor Akagi when she talks about how to deal with an ability that allows you to see other people's memories…'

Asuka looked a bit nervous, "Shinji, can you start the cooking?"

"Sure." The Third Child stands up and stretches before nodding at Patrick, "I'll finish catching you up later, okay?" Patrick just nods before Shinji leaves the room. Asuka, however, makes no motion to leave the room.

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" Patrick whispers softly.

"As if!" Asuka snapped, "All I have problems with is if you'll keep control of that body of yours. We don't need enemies on BOTH fronts."

"…I'll die before he takes over." Patrick mutters darkly, "But until then…I'll live life the best I can." He stands up hesitantly and winces slightly, "I'll be fine."

Asuka snorts, "I didn't plan on helping you…" She mutters.

"…You're kinder than you want others to know." Patrick whispers to himself.

* * *

Dinner that night was somewhat strained. After the initial introduction, most of them avoided eye contact with the Fifth Child, who was currently sitting at a table away from everyone else except Sarah and Serena, the latter who knew about Patrick's situation at this point. "Is that really Patrick?" Kensuke asks curiously, "I looked at the file you had on Kaworu and…well, considering his hair color and clothing…he looks sort of like him now."

Shinji really didn't need that reminder, "It's Patrick." He states firmly, "Don't worry about it…"

"Hmm, he looks kinda cute…" Akira notes as she stares over at the Fifth Child.

"Don't even think about it." Toji says to his little sister, who sat in the seat on his right. "Sarah is already involved with him."

"You can't tell me what to do." Akira retorts before smiling evilly, "Speaking of relationships…"

'Oh God…' Toji thinks to himself.

"…How far have you and Hikari gone?" Akira asks teasingly, causing the Fourth and Eighth Child to blush deeply while Kodama chuckles, Nozomi and Akira giggle, and the rest of them try to not focus on that comment. Akira turns to Shinji and Asuka, who were sitting opposite of her and Toji. "How about you two? Since you've been boyfriend and girlfriend longer than my idiot brother and his 'angel' as he calls her in his sleep…" The blushes on Toji and Hikari become deep red at that revelation. "…Then you two must have at least-"

"Stop teasing us!" Toji and Hikari shout in unison, cutting off Akira's statement.

Akira just giggles at that, "Okay, as amusing as this is, I think you've teased everyone long enough." Misato pointed out blandly.

"Oh? How about you and Kaji then?" Akira smirks at Misato's nervous expression.

"There's nothing between us anymore." Misato replies quickly before finishing her food. "Anyways, I've got some things to do so see you all later."

Toji's sister rolls her eyes at that, "She's lying through her teeth." She states blandly before looking at the Second and Third Child. "Now, where was I…?"

* * *

Serena stares sadly at Patrick as he calmly eats his food, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "You've gotten taller than me." She notes calmly, causing the Fifth Child to stare at her curiously. "Remember how I used to tease you about never being able to reach my height?"

Patrick chuckles softly before finishing his food. "Yeah…I distinctively remember that being said by you." He smiles at her, "Thanks for sitting with me. Could you tell me what happened after we lost Loriana? Shinji filled me in up to that point."

Serena nods but before she can begin, "How about I do it instead?" Sarah suggested, "You weren't there when some of that stuff that happened."

Serena nodded and lets Sarah do the recap instead. Patrick actually laughed about SEELE's capture and made a mental note to ask Kaji for a recording of the trial. Sarah was about to begin to tell Patrick about the attack on Varian's base when… "It's getting late…" Serena sighs, glancing at the clock. "You'll need your rest. Do you need any help getting to your room?"

"No, I'll be fine…" Patrick replies as he stood up and stretched.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked with a concerned voice, noticing the cafeteria was just about empty at this point.

Patrick gives her a weary look. "Yeah, I'm sure."

* * *

Shinji was lying down with his eyes closed and listening to his SDAT player as the Fifth Child entered the room. The Third Child notices him and nods as Patrick enters the room and sits on his own bed, staring at Shinji. "Shinji, would you mind finish telling me what happened?"

He turns his SDAT player and blinks, "Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly." Shinji apologizes.

"Could you finish giving me a recap? Sarah continued the recap for you but stopped before the attack against Darvin and Varian." Patrick explains.

Shinji nods, continuing the recap until he catches Patrick up to the recent events and stops, "…and that's about it." He finishes.

"I don't like the idea of training their AT Fields…it's too dangerous, in my opinion." Patrick mutters.

Shinji sighs, "I understand what you mean, considering what happened to you…but this is the best chance we have." He yawns and looks at the clock. "12:57 AM already? I need some sleep. Goodnight." The Third Child lies back down and pulls the covers over his body.

* * *

Two Weeks Later…

Over the last two weeks, the Children had improved their skills with both their Evas and use of their AT Fields so, when the day finally came for the final battle, they would be ready to fight Sammael and win. This didn't stop the others from being uneasy, however.

"Geez, I feel like a nervous wreck…" Patrick muttered over breakfast in the morning, getting nods from the other pilots. By this point, the other pilots were used to him being around him in his altered state.

Shinji sighs, "Four hours until the final battle." The Third Child hated fighting, yet he couldn't stand WAITING for a battle.

"Actually, it's technically three hours, forty six minutes and seven seconds." Rei corrects Shinji and, oddly enough, she looks nervous right now as she eats her salad.

"Who cares? We'll kill the bastard anyways." Asuka states confidently, but she still looked a bit afraid. After all, their opponent was technically the Devil himself.

"Yeah," Toji nods, holding onto Hikari's left hand with his right tightly. She looks at the jock with a smile and squeezes her hand gently before kissing him on the cheek.

Kensuke rolls his eyes at the scene of Hikari kissing Toji, "Agreed…Wow, I never thought I'd ever agree with Asuka on something." He jokes, trying to ease the tension in the air.

Sarah closes her eyes and replays the images that she had from this day. Everyone lined up and ready to fight as Sammael is freed and the image of everyone's death as well. '…We'll win this war…I hope…' Patrick breathes in sharply and his eyes widen as he turns sharply to Sarah, who internally swears. 'Shit, did he see those?' "What's wrong?"

"…Nothing…" Patrick replies softly before he looks away from her. 'What the hell was that? A premonition?'

Misato walks into the cafeteria and heads over to the coffee maker and pours herself some coffee, much to the shock of some of the pilots. She sighs before walking over and she sits in a chair between Shinji and Asuka. "How are you all doing?"

Asuka gapes at her, "Y-You're…You're actually drinking coffee instead of beer?" She sounded surprised, "It's the end of the world!" That last part was obviously filled with sarcasm.

"Oh, ha ha," Misato rolls her eyes as she sips on some of the coffee in her cup. "Very funny, but I drank some beer last night." 'Only one can though…' Misato added mentally. "So how are you all feeling today?"

"Eh, a bit nervous is all…" Sarah replied with a shrug.

"That's how everyone feels right now, Sarah." Misato pointed out. "Anyways, Commander Ikari wants you to eat an early lunch because I doubt you'll get the chance to eat in the Eva Units, since the battle will last a few hours at most. How does 11:00 AM sound?" Most of them nod, "Good. Well, seeya later."

Rei blinks at something poking at her leg and looks down towards Pen Pen, who was poking her leg with a fin and looking up at her longingly. "Do you desire fish?" The penguin nods eagerly and Rei sighs. "Come with me." She stands up and leads Pen Pen to the kitchen of the Nerv Cafeteria and when she returns, Pen Pen is waddling behind her as he stuffs a trout into his mouth eagerly with his right fin while his left fin holds a beer can against its chest.

"That is the weirdest penguin in the history of the world." Asuka sweatdrops as she watches the penguin swallow the fish whole before opening the beer can and chugging down about half of it before it burps loudly.

"Geez, I think it got too many bad habits from Misato…" Sarah notes.

* * *

"Well, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and there are almost no clouds in the sky. A perfect day for the end of the world," Misato notes blandly as she looks at the scene in front of her of Tokyo-03. "We probably shouldn't have started the reconstruction of Tokyo-03. After all, the battle will probably level what is left of the city."

Ritsuko shrugs, "Sammael will be arriving from orbit, so we could probably minimize the damage by fighting on his terms…"

"What's the plan, Rits?" Misato asks curiously.

"That's your department. After all, you'll have to come up with a plan to fight the Devil himself but hey, no pressure." Ritsuko chuckles softly at the glare Major Katsuragi is leveling at her.

"Well, I thought you'd say that…but I already have a plan in mind." Misato smirks before glancing at the clock. 11:30 AM. "Okay everyone!" Misato shouted over the intercom and to the pilots. "The plan is simple. We force him to expel as much energy as humanly and Eva-ly possible by ripping him apart and forcing him to use his abilities. Use caution when fighting the guy and…most importantly, good luck out there." She pauses, "Also, the U.N. has decided to assist us and is allowing us to command the arsenals of long range weapons on Earth so you've got everyone supporting you out there."

"Awesome!" Kensuke cheered happily.

"Not to look at this negatively but…why would the U.N. trust Ikari with the world's weapons?" Asuka asks curiously.

"They're receiving orders from us but we won't be in control and we can't, say, launch an N2 Mine on London or something." Misato chuckles, "Even if we could, it wouldn't help us defend the world from Sammael. We'll need every bit of firepower we can get against him."

Ikari looks down at the translated document in front of him and frowns at the meaning in front of him. 'Only through the power of self-sacrifice shall the Champion of the Lilim bring forth the strength to challenge Sammael should the worst come to pass…' He reads the document in his mind, 'What does this line mean?'

* * *

"The eclipse has begun." Rei interrupted the silence that overtook the pilots at the moment before the Sun was blocked at a single point by the Moon.

"Huh? There wasn't a scheduled eclipse, was there?" Hikari looked surprised.

"That means its show time." Misato interrupts the talking. "Activate your AT Field wings and head into orbit as soon as you're launched and grab your weapons." She pauses, "Rei and Kensuke, each of you bring a positron sniper rifle for long range combat. Rei, make sure the Lance of Longinus is strapped tightly against your Eva's back. Everyone else, you know what weapons you'll use."

Patrick nods before closing his eyes. 'You're wasting your time, brat.' Varkon notes in a flat voice, 'The moment the seal was undone was the moment you had no hope of victory. Even if you do win, I'll take your body over.'

'I doubt it. I'm guessing all Crimson Angels draw power from the Doorway. If we kill Sammael and SEAL it, you'll never have the strength to overtake me, right?' Patrick replies blandly. The silence was enough proof. 'I win then.'

'Even if your theory is correct, you'll always have Crimson Angel DNA in your body.' Varkon retorted. Patrick decided at the point to shut him out and focuses on the now rebuilt Unit 04 with his programs reinstalled. Rather than his usual weapon of choice with Project 'Lightbringer,' he would be manipulating seven modified Spear of Longinus copies and his staff in combat.

"Five minutes until the total eclipse." Maya reported, "Everyone's sync is at 100."

Commander Ikari nods before opening communications with all the pilots, "I have nothing other to say except this." He pauses, "Good luck." He cuts communications off before looking at the technicians, "Launch the Evangelion Units immediately!"

* * *

Unit 00 is slowly lowered to the bottom of Terminal Dogma from the cable and hops off near the bottom before it walks into the chamber where Lilith was once pinned to a red cross. Rei stares up at the Spear of Longinus calmly, "The time is at hand, Adam's Spear."

'I see…' The Spear of Longinus replied with a sigh, 'Very well, daughter of Lilith. I shall aid the Lilim in this task.' Unit 00 pulls the Spear of Longinus out of the red cross and holds it in her right hand as it walks back over to the cable so it could return to the surface.

By the time Rei has returned to the surface, every single Eva Unit was ready to head into orbit. She stood between Units 06 and 01 and looked down the line. Unit 06 had Loriana's Gravity Spear, Unit 04 has his staff and seven modified Spear of Longinus copies stabbed into the ground next to him, Unit 03 had Revalt's axe, and Unit 05 had both his Crimson Angel weapon AND his positron rifle equipped. Unit 01 had Chivalt's sword (which still had its altered form from the battle with Varian), Unit 02 had Darvin's Elemental Armor and her Heavy Prog Sword equipped, and Unit 07 had Varian's Crimson Angel weapon, a golden cross attached to her left arm and a golden crossbow-like weapon attached to her right arm.

Unit 00 presses the Spear of Longinus against her back and it transforms from its two-pronged state into a single spear before its AT Field allows it to attach to Unit 00's back with little trouble. Rei lets go of the Spear and opens the weapon cache before grabbing a positron sniper rifle and moving into position next to Shinji and Sarah.

'The vision changed…' Sarah thinks to herself as the Moon fully eclipses the Sun. The clouds in the sky become blood red and the sky becomes black as night with not a star visible in the sky. The Moon stops moving in the sky as twelve red dots appear on the border of the now black Moon, which is just barely visible in the dark sky, as a line connects from the top dot to the next point in a clockwise position.

"Let's head out." Shinji interrupts the silence on the battlefield as two golden AT Field wings appear on his Eva's back.

"Right." Asuka replies as two golden AT Field wings appear on her back as well. The others follow suit before they take off of the ground and fly up into the sky. By the time they leave orbit, the twelve dots are connected in the shape of a circle before a second circle appears in the center with five points that connect in the shape of an upside down star and a pentagram forms. It spreads to the edges of the Moon as the pentagram star vanishes to reveal a sea of flames behind it, as well as the Doorway, which was slowly opening in that fiery inferno. Three demonic eyes are visible in the darkness behind the Doorway, the darkness overwhelming and smothering the flames into nothingness as Sammael had finally obtained his freedom.

The final battle was now at hand.

* * *

A/N: Yes, the cliffhanger of doom…but at last, the final part of this story is nearly at hand! The Series Finale (sort of) will be a double post. It will be posted on Friday so I hope you enjoy it!

Read and Review!


	49. The Final Battle

A/N: The time is at hand. This is the final battle and-

"**Silence mortal…**" Sammael growls before vaporizing the author with black flames. "**This is MY story now and this is the END for humanity.**"

"No…humanity still stands a chance of victory…" Vanpat's voice calls out. "It's just a matter of doing what must be done…"

"**Your body is gone…yet your soul remains. How amusing…**" Sammael muttered.

"Yeah…well, since I'm vaporized, it's your turn to do the Disclaimer…" Vanpat whispers softly.

"**Vanpat does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion in any shape, form, or method.**" Sammael states in a firm voice, "**I will own it after everyone is DEAD!**"

"That's nice. We don't care…" Vanpat mutters. "Also…this chapter will have depressing and tearful events. You were warned."

* * *

The Commander of the JSSDF, who was the one in charge of the operation that attacked Nerv HQ before Third Impact, stares up at the sky as the eight Eva Units fly up, "Heh, looks like we're on their side now, huh?" He notes calmly, "Sort of ironic, huh?"

The soldier monitoring the current layout of the military systems on a laptop nods in agreement, both of them watching the situation unfold next to a large JSSDF vehicle with a satellite dish on top of it. The Commander of the JSSDF was standing while the soldier was sitting with the laptop on a small table in front of him. "Yeah…the last time we were here, we were fighting for SEELE against Ikari and Nerv…but now, we're fighting with Nerv against an enemy greater than anything we've ever faced before." He mutters softly.

Another soldier runs out from behind the vehicle. "Sir, Commander Ikari says things are ready on his end!" He shouted as the red circle in the sky is complete. "Whoa…" The man whispers in awe.

"Hmm…" The JSSDF Commander puts on a pair of goggles and looks up at the eclipse. He watches as a pentagram appears on the Moon. "Once in a lifetime solar eclipse, isn't it?" He notes before walking over to and past the other soldier with both of them following behind him. He enters the vehicle and there are multiple computer screens and control consoles lining the interior walls with soldiers working on them. The JSSDF Commander walks over to the computer screen on the far end and sits down in the empty chair before staring at the face of Commander Ikari. "Hello Commander Ikari."

"Let's cut the short talk, Commander Tarvon." Ikari states coldly, "What's the status of the N2 warheads?"

A/N: I came up with a name for him. That is all.

"Only five hundred and twenty seven were successfully armed and ready. The remaining N2 missiles are too far away to get into striking distance of the enemy or modified to go the kind of distance needed." Tarvon sighs, "The U.N.'s military budget will likely be in shambles after all the modifications needed to prep the warheads for escape velocity and for space travel."

"Perhaps, but this is a necessary battle-" Ikari's voice is cut off by a shout.

"The Doorway has opened! The Magi are detecting a massive AT Field! It has a black Waveform pattern!" Hyuga is heard shouting.

"…It's time. Major Katsuragi will be in charge of directing your forces, Commander Tarvon." Ikari nods to the man before his face vanishes and Misato's face appears on screen with a headset on.

"Okay you all, supporting these kids out there is vital. We're talking about an opponent that transcends the threat of the Angels, Crimson Angels, and SEELE all put together. Got it?"

"Of course, Major Katsuragi," Commander Tarvon salutes to her, as do the other soldiers in the vehicle.

* * *

"I'm surprised they put Misato in charge of this whole operation…" Serena mutters from the Secondary Commander Center with Kodama, Nozomi, and Akira are stationed at computer screens that could monitor the situations of the pilots but nothing else.

Ritsuko nods, "Commander Ikari has decided to put a great deal of trust in Misato with this operation."

"Wait, who's in charge of the pilots then?" Kodama asked curiously. "Is Misato handling that too?"

"Sort of," Ritsuko replies, "Misato is mostly giving them free rein out there. After all, they know what they have to do and they can fight for themselves." She chuckles, "They've grown up a lot…Anyways; I'd better head over to the Command Center now. Stay here and watch the situation." She moves at a brisk walk to the door and exits the room.

* * *

The single clawed hand slams into the Moon from the opening, as if trying to pull out what was on the other end. The three red eyes send chills down the spines of the Eva Pilots, who were at the halfway point from the Moon. "It looks like it's having trouble…" Toji mutters, "It's been five minutes already and he just got his claw out."

"Yeah…" Asuka sounded uneasy, but she knew that her AT Field would be needed later rather than now.

"Everyone, stay calm." Yui replies as she appears in Shinji's entry plug and is currently floating next to the Third Child. "Sammael is having difficulty because one of the secondary locks is not broken." She glances through the visual of their surroundings and at Unit 04, which has two blood red wings rather than golden wings because of his Crimson Angel DNA. "However, he'll be coming out in a few minutes. The seal is weak enough that he can break out now…but his power will be drained by doing this." She pauses, "I can't calculate the amount of power he truly has, but if he reaches Divinity on this side of the Doorway, the remainder of his power will automatically transfer to his body. I'd advise not letting that happen."

"Great advice," Asuka remarks sarcastically. Unit 02 glows golden as the wing count goes from two to four.

"Enough sarcasm, Asuka," Yui snapped, "Right now, you all fighting Sammael is humanity's last hope." She looks serious, "If Sammael becomes a God, I have only one countermeasure…and none of you will like the idea of doing that, so don't bother asking."

"Let's go!" Shinji shouted as his wing count grew to four before Unit 01 flew at high speeds towards the Moon with Units 02, 03, and 05 following him. The remainder of the Evas stay put, deciding to go with the idea of switching in and out of combat to conserve energy.

As Shinji approaches the Moon, another clawed hand grips the other side of the Doorway opening. **"…Howl, Werivor.**" Sammael is heard whispering before a sonic shockwave of energy reverberates throughout the area, stunning the pilots and causing them to clutch their heads painfully before putting their Eva's AT Field to defend against the attack. After the attack fades away, they raise their own AT Field to protect themselves from Sammael's influence. Everyone's AT Fields were golden in color.

"Here he comes…" Toji mutters as he readies his axe. Unit 01 charges his AT Field into his sword and Unit 02 does the same. Unit 05 activates his positron rifle and targets the center point of Sammael's three eyes before firing at it. The beam flies closer to the Moon before a second clawed hand reaches out and blocks the attack with ease before grabbing the Moon tightly. The Doorway vanishes behind a sheet of red hot flames as Sammael's head leaves the World of Darkness. Suddenly, the Moon explodes outwards and into countless pieces, which fly in all directions, even at the Eva Pilots.

* * *

"He…spread out his AT Field…and destroyed the Moon…" Hyuga whispers fearfully. "What kind of monster is this guy?"

Everyone watching the situation was freaked out at this point, even Commander Ikari, but he managed to hide it better. Ritsuko dashes into the room and heads up to the control deck before noticing Misato's shocked expression at the screen and looks at what Misato is staring at. Ritsuko's eyes widen in shock at the state of the Moon. 'Oh my God…'

"Hey, Misato! Get your act together!" Ritsuko snapped, pushing the situation with the Moon's destruction behind her for now. Without the Moon, the Earth's seasons would become unstable and the situation would likely be as bad, if not worse, than the aftermath of Second Impact. "You're in charge of this operation and we can't have you in shock like this!"

Misato shakes her head quickly before opening communications with the U.N. and JSSDF forces. "Okay you all. We'll need to get rid of that debris before it reaches Earth, got it?"

"Understood, Major Katsuragi," Even the JSSDF Commander was shaken at this situation.

* * *

"This is insane!" Kensuke shouted as he fires his positron rifle at the incoming debris, but doing little damage before being forced to fly out of the way.

"Shiest!" Asuka swears as she dodges the incoming meteors before realizing they're heading straight for Earth, and most of them were big enough to do serious damage. "No!"

"Don't worry guys. We've got it under control." Misato smirks before opening communications with the U.N. forces. "Fire missiles twelve through fifty seven and target those meteors! Now!"

Fourth five N2 Warheads were launched from either submarines or warships in Japanese waters into orbit, past the other Eva Units that were to switch in later, and intercepted the meteors halfway between the first line of defense to the second and the Earth, causing most of the debris to be destroyed. When the remainder of the debris came closer, Misato had the U.N. fire another wave of N2 Warheads, which destroyed the rest of it. "That was awesome!" Kensuke shouted as he looked at the light show behind him before focusing on the creature now visible and freed from the Doorway.

Sammael truly had abandoned his Angel form and now was covered in black armor-like scales with red hot flames flowing under them. In fact, he was nearly identical to Varian's second form, the Shadow of Sammael, yet also quite different. It seemed more…real, as well as more ominous, and there were no wings on its back. Had the pilots not received the AT Field training and weren't using their AT Fields around their bodies now; their souls would have been torn apart or corrupted by Sammael's power. The pilots staying in reserve in the back line felt the same as Hikari did when Varian first used the Shadow of Sammael, even at this distance his presence and influence were overpowering.

"Tch…you've got to be kidding me…" Patrick muttered before feeling a stabbing pain in his body as Varkon's power increased. 'Damnit, I'm not letting you take over now…!' He thinks to himself as he put his AT Field aura up, golden in color, around his body. The other pilots were freaked out but Rei quickly orders them to put up their AT Fields, her own body surrounded by a golden light. Hikari and Sarah nod, quickly putting up a golden aura around their body.

"…**Bind, Benivar.**" Sammael whispers before countless black chains with spikes at the end of them fly out at the remaining rubble from the Moon that wasn't aimed from the Moon and attaches to them, "**…Shift, Morphile.**" The rubble from the Moon glows with a red aura before it changes form into a variety of shapes, such as swords, shields, spears and other weapons. What chills the children though is the debris now in the form of previous Crimson Angels, such as Doragon, Revalt, and even Shalock. Worse yet, there was more than one of them each.

"Oh hell no…" Asuka mutters before the jaws of the copies of Doragon open and fire a wave of black flames at the Evangelion Units. Unit 02 fires a massive AT Field slash infused with white flames that she produced with her Elemental Armor at the incoming attack. The slash cuts through and destroys half of the black flames before cutting through and ripping apart some copies of Doragon and Shalock.

The copies of Morlina's second form, which were larger and more demonic appearing than Loriana's second form (They had blood red bat wings and black hair), create a gravity field around the Evangelions in order to slow their movements as the copies of Chivalt's second form charge through the field, completely unaffected by the gravity, and slash or slam into the Evangelions.

Unit 01 blocks the Chivalt copy he is facing with his sword and is surprised to see the copy get cut through, as if its sword and form couldn't withstand the original Chivalt's sword. 'Wait…' Shinji blinks in surprise as the form of Chivalt fades away to reveal the rubble from the Moon. "Use an Anti-AT Field!" Shinji shouted, "All he's doing is changing their shape with an AT Field!"

Asuka blinks with surprise at the announcement, currently blocking the Chivalt copy she's fighting with a diamond wall, "Oh really?" She smirks before stabbing into her diamond wall, which glows with a golden light before it turns into a barrage of diamond spikes that shred through Chivalt and sever the chain connected to him, causing the image of him to vanish. "It looks like he needs those chains to keep them in that form too!" Asuka shouted before creating an array of diamond-bladed sword with elaborately made and designed hilts. The redhead grins before using her AT Field to fire the swords at the chains, severing many of the meteors from their source.

Unit 03 absorbs all the energy his axe can hold from Morlina's gravity field before firing a barrage of Anti-AT Field spheres at the small army of fallen Crimson Angels. This attack not only shatters the gravity field around them a moment before Asuka's counterattack against the small army, but also tears some of the copies of the Crimson Angels apart. A copy of Revalt manages to fly through the barrage and is about to use an Anti-AT Field point blank on Unit 03 before its head is blown clean off by Unit 05's positron rifle.

"Nice shot, Kensuke!" Toji shouted before cutting through the remains of 'Revalt,' also destroying the chain at the end.

"Thanks Toji." Kensuke replies with a chuckle before firing a barrage of white energy blasts from his Crimson Angel weapon at a storm of incoming black fireballs, canceling them out with ease before he fires a massive white energy beam.

* * *

Misato bites her lips nervously as she watches the Magi monitor Sammael's power level. It started at 100 the moment he came through but now it read 450. "Everyone, you need to move in closer and actually damage that guy quickly. His power level is rising too quickly."

* * *

Shinji nods before closing his eyes and calming himself as the aura around his body become purple in color. His Eva glows with a purple aura as six AT Field wings, purple in color, adorn his back. 'Let's go, Mother.'

'Right,' Yui responds before Unit 01 vanishes and reappears at multiple points on the battlefield around Sammael before finally stopping behind the Devil with his sword glowing brightly; every single black chain was broken and shattered. Unit 01's wing count had dropped to two before he swings around and slashes at Sammael's back. A pitch black AT Field appears between them before Chivalt's sword shifts in form and its hilt is now adorned with purple chains that come from a green pummel stone attached to the bottom of the hilt.

The chains fly at the AT Field and almost seem to be endless as small blades form on them and rip into the pitch black AT Field as Chivalt's sword cuts through the AT Field and leaves a deep gash in Sammael's back before Unit 01 flies back, its purple aura vanishing and the chains retracting back into the pummel stone on the bottom of the hilt.

"**Damn you…**" Sammael growls angrily before surrounding his body in red hot flames as his wound regenerates; the flames flying out at Unit 01. Asuka flies by and tows Unit 01 away from the attack.

"Shinji, don't do something that crazy again…that's something I'd normally do." Asuka mutters to her boyfriend. "Take a break for now, okay?"

"Alright, Asuka…" Shinji whispers wearily.

* * *

"Shinji is exhausted," Maya reported, "Unit 07 is flying into the battlefield to take his place."

Misato nods, "Good. How is everyone else?"

"Asuka is weary but she'll be good for another few minutes. Kensuke and Toji are in great shape, however," Hyuga reports.

"Alright…tell Asuka to withdraw with Shinji and have Sarah head in there with Hikari." Misato orders before opening communications with the JSSDF forces. "We'll hold back the N2 Warheads in case Sammael gets too close to the Earth."

"Understood," Commander Tarvon salutes.

* * *

Sarah and Hikari flew into the battlefield with two AT Field wings each, both of them unable to get a wing count any higher than two. Unit 06 charges its AT Field into its Gravity Spear before firing a barrage of electromagnetic slashes at the creature. It raises its AT Field, black in color, and easily blocks the attacks. Hikari raises her right arm (an action mimed by her Eva Unit) and clenches her fist, which fires a massive golden-white energy bolt through the black AT Field and Sammael's chest, leaving a nice big hole. The electromagnetic slashes previously blocked by Sammael's AT Field flew into its body and left deep gashes in it.

"**You bitch!**" Sammael roars before firing a massive Anti-AT Field in all directions, which vaporized the remains of his chains and the meteors as it flew at the Eva Units.

"Everyone, get behind me!" Hikari shouted before raises her left arm and focusing her Eva's AT Field into the golden cross attached to it. The other Evas quickly fly behind her as the Anti-AT Field approaches them, 'Now!' Hikari thinks to herself before shouting, "Absolute Territory Field!" A massive rainbow colored barrier appears, generated from the golden cross on Unit 07's left arm, and repels the Anti-AT Field with ease.

Sammael's three eyes widen in amazement, "**That's impossible! No human could-**" He suddenly growls as he stares at the cross on her left arm. "**…Varian…you bastard…**" The air feels heavy in the entry plugs of the pilots as a pitch black aura overtakes the flames around his body. "**He dares to betray me?**" He roared as a feeling of bloodlust comes from Sammael.

Patrick flinches as he and the other pilots either in reserve or resting can feel Sammael's rage from here. 'Hehehe…it's over for all of you now…' Varkon mutters smugly, 'Angering my Master just multiples his power.'

'Shut up, you asshole…' Patrick retorted mentally as six demonic blood red wings appear on Sammael's back; his body growing larger in size. "…This is bad…" He mutters before flying towards the battlefield.

Rei's eyes widen before, surprisingly, she swears before flying after Unit 04 and towards the battlefield.

* * *

Sammael roars loudly, firing a sonic shockwave at the Evas and blasting them back, even though Hikari's Absolute Territory Field is still up, which prevents damage from touching her and the other Evas in combat. Sammael charges up to Unit 07 and summons a sword of pure darkness before swinging it down with his right arm at the Absolute Territory Field. Hikari's eyes widen as the blade cuts deeply into her barrier before she flies backwards with the other Evangelions, letting her barrier drop. "How could he break through that?" She demanded in amazement.

"**This is the Sword of Habakiri.**" Sammael chuckles darkly, "**It can pierce any spiritual barrier with ease, as it tears into the soul itself. In other words, your AT Field is easy to sever with this.**" The darkness around the blade vanishes, which reveals the pure white ethereal blade and a black hilt. Hikari painfully clutches her chest, "**Also…trying to block this attack with an AT Field will damage the soul of the user itself.**"

"Damn it…" Toji swears before calming down and focusing on calming himself as his golden aura shifts to a yellow color as two angelic wings grow on his back. Four AT Field wings adorn his Eva's back that are bright yellow in color as his axe glows brightly. "Let's go…" He raises his axe, but before he can gather enough energy, Sammael slashes his sword diagonally down at him.

Suddenly, Unit 06 dashes down diagonally from the other side and slams her Gravity Spear down at the blade in order to redirect the attack; a massive gravity field intensifying the force of her attack. She feels her body burning from the pain of having her AT Field, although indirectly, touch the Sword of Habakiri. Seven modified Spear of Longinus copies stab into Sammael's right arm at his elbow, wrist, shoulder, and two at each segment of his arm before energy crosses erupt from every point on the Spear copies, skewering Sammael's right arm.

This causes Sammael to scream in pain and fire a barrage of black fireballs at the Eva Units. Kensuke fires a massive white energy beam that cancels out the fireballs and burns Sammael's face. Unit 00 discards the positron sniper rifle Rei took with her and pulls the Spear of Longinus from her back and swings it down with both hands; a white aura around the now two-pronged spear. 'It looks like I won't even need my sniper rifle…' Rei thinks softly to himself before flying at Sammael and slashing deeply into his left side while Kensuke's attack blinded him temporarily.

* * *

"Major Katsuragi, Sammael is slowly pushing everyone ba-" Hyuga's eyes widen in amazement, "Toji's sync jumped to 800!"

"What did you say?" Ritsuko demanded.

* * *

"Take this!" Toji shouted before creating a truly massive Anti-AT Field sphere that rips Sammael's entire lower body into nothingness, only his upper chest, half of his arms and his head intact. Asuka gapes at the sheer damage that Toji just DID from a distance.

"Mein Gott…" Asuka whispers as she focuses on recovering her energy. Rei had taught her and Shinji a way to restore their energy. It involved using their AT Field to intensify the rate of recovery, but the exhaustion that occurs after your energy is depleted is four times worse than normal exhaustion. Shinji was also slowly recovering his energy as he watched with concern. "What's wrong?"

"…I have a bad feeling about this…" Shinji mutters softly.

"Ha, we got him!" Kensuke shouted happily before noticing the expression on Sarah's face, a mix of pure fear and disgust as her AT Field aura becomes red. "Wh-"

"…He's alive…he's…toying with us…" Sarah whispers fearfully as the damage done to Sammael quickly regenerates within a matter of seconds with a maniacal grin on his face. She gasps as a vision flows into her mind, "Toji, move now!"

Unit 03 was unable to move, having used his remaining energy with that attack. Sammael's blade cuts straight through the Eva, cutting it clean in half and causing it to explode. Time seemed to stop at that moment for every one of them.

* * *

"TOJI!" Akira screams tearfully, trying to pound on the computer screen as if it would bring him back but Kodama stopped her and hugged Toji's little sister against her chest. At first, she struggled but then she relented; crying and weeping against Kodama's chest.

* * *

Misato swears angrily before opening communications with the JSSDF. "How many of your missiles can hit that son of a bitch?"

"At this range…about two hundred." Tarvon looked a bit fearful at the both enraged and sad face Major Katsuragi.

"Launch them all."

Tarvon blinks in surprise, "Huh?"

"Launch them all NOW!" Misato practically screamed at him. "I want that bastard blown back to HELL!"

* * *

"TOJI!" Hikari screams tearfully as she flies towards the wreckage, not caring that Sammael was grinning evilly and swinging his sword and her now. Just before the sword reaches her, Unit 00 blocks the blade with the Spear of Longinus. Unit 07 stops in front of the wreckage and looks frantically for an entry plug, only to gasp as she sees the destroyed entry plug and limp hand of the Fourth Child. "DAMN YOU!" She roared as her aura became as black as night and she fires countless massive black energy bolts at Sammael, who just grins as he absorbs the AT Field powers that were filled with Hikari's sadness and anger, which acted as nourishment for him.

Sarah swears angrily before trying to calm her mind, but unable to. The visions of her friend's deaths kept rushing into her mind. Patrick becomes deathly silent before speaking to the Crimson Angel, 'Varkon…give me power. You can do whatever you like with my body and soul, but I WILL win this.'

Varkon chuckles evilly, 'Very well…' He knew that power used in anger would just feed Sammael, hence giving this idiot his powers would be a benefit.

Patrick glows with a blood red aura before his hair becomes black as night and his eyes as red as his aura. The Spear copies fly through Sammael's body like a hot knife through butter, skewering him relentlessly. 'Wait-' Varkon realized he just gave up his powers without understanding Patrick's intent. He wasn't angry. 'YOU BASTARD!' He tries to take his powers back but it was too late.

One Spear copy embedded itself in each hand and foot, the center of his chest, his head, and his tail as Unit 04 reaches 400 sync and its aura becomes dark blue in color.

"Celestial Cross." He whispers as pure energy in the shape of a cross tears Sammael's body apart painfully, catching Hikari's attention and snapping her out of her angered state. Patrick breathes heavily before a white blade stabs out from the light and at his head but, before it reaches him, Unit 06 pushes him out of the way and is stabbed instead, but in the chest. "S-Sarah…?" Patrick looks horrified at the visual of her, who has blood running from her mouth.

"Heh…looks like…I saved you this time…" Sarah whispers before coughing up some blood. Her eyes widen as she sees what will occur and smiles. "I see…so that's why…this had to happen…" Unit 06 holds out the Gravity Spear, "Take this…to Unit 01; along with…Toji's Axe…and your weapon…Trust me…" She whispers before becoming motionless.

Patrick closes his eyes and turns the communications window off to Unit 06, unable to watch her beloved's dead body any longer. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he realized just how painful losing a boy/girlfriend was, and he hated himself for doing that to Sarah not just once, but twice. He had to focus…right now…he had to get these weapons to Shinji. He wasn't sure why…but Sarah's expression hinted a ray of hope in this dark time. The Fifth Child bit back his tears and took Unit 06's Gravity Spear before opening communications with Hikari, who was crying her heart out as Unit 05 just stood there in shock and Unit 00 used hit and run tactics, but was obviously affected by two deaths so far as Rei's aura was golden instead of white.

"Hikari…take Toji's axe and give it to Shinji." Patrick whispers, "We need to do this, okay?" Hikari wasn't listening so he reached out his AT Field and grabbed Toji's axe from a long distance. He regretted that because his body felt like it was burning as Varkon struggled to overtake his soul. 'Shut up…I'm doing this now…'

'I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!' Varkon roared loudly as Patrick felt his control slipping.

'Shit…not now…' He thinks painfully to himself, "Kensuke!" He shouted into a communication window to Unit 05, which showed the Sixth Child staring in shock. "Snap…out of it, damnit!" Kensuke shakes his head before turning to Patrick, tears forming in his eyes. "Listen to me…take Toji's axe and Sarah's spear to Shinji…I'll take over for you." He nods sadly before flying over and grabbing the spear and the axe before flying back towards Shinji and Asuka, the latter flying straight back into the battlefield.

"Asuka…I'm going to give you every ounce of my power." Patrick whispers painfully before his seven Spear copies glow with a golden light and pierce into Unit 02's Elemental Armor. However, rather than running the Eva through, it seemed to fuse with the armor. "Stay calm…Don't let your anger control you out there…" He blinks in surprise that the aura around Unit 02 wasn't dark red or black…but pure bright red.

"…I know." Asuka states in an eerily calm voice as Unit 04's staff flies out of his hand onto into Unit 02's Elemental Armor, also fusing with it. "I won't lose myself out there. Good luck." She flies past Unit 04 with a pure light surrounding her Eva that seems to shine over the Evas and Sammael. Hikari, Kensuke and Rei's eyes all widen as a feeling of comfort and peace descends upon them. The light, however, only caused screams of pain from Sammael. "Everyone…let's go…"

* * *

"Asuka's sync is 999!" Maya shouted, "Her heart and psychographs detect no anomalies!"

Misato has a tear falling from her cheek before shaking her head. "Asuka, I've launched about two hundred N2 missiles. They'll be targeting Sammael so-"

"I know." Asuka states calmly, her eyes appearing to show no emotion. "I'll handle this."

* * *

Asuka was devastated by the loss of two people. Sure, she had arguments with Toji and Sarah, but she didn't want them dead. The redhead, after they fell, used her AT Field just like Rei showed her to do. 'When your heart is troubled, close it off. Let go of everything and just fight. However…doing this may forever close off your heart.'

'I don't care…' Asuka thought to herself as she raises her sword into the air as the missiles approach. Every one of them is surrounded by a red aura that quickly changes into pure white flames. Sammael's eyes narrow as he knocks Unit 00 away with his claw before his black aura fires out at Unit 02. Asuka's eyes are pure purple as she swings her sword down with indifference. Every missile compresses into the shape of pure white arrows before shooting out at Sammael, ripping his aura apart and skewering him with arrows in his chest. "It's over." The N2 Warheads detonate, causing a massive explosion that would have leveled an entire continent had it occurred on Earth to envelop Sammael completely.

Rei stares at the Second Child with amazement before shaking her head, 'I need to focus…that severely damaged Sammael but he still has too much power…' She stares sadly at the visual of Asuka's face, which showed no emotion. 'I can't believe she actually closed her heart off.'

"**Damn…you…**" Sammael gasps out in a demonic voice as the light from the explosions vanished and his wrecked body hovered in the air in front of them. His wings were gone and did not regenerate with the rest of his body, which took longer to heal than it normally would.

Asuka sighs softly before she looked at the face of her beloved in the communication window. Shinji was shaken and had his head in his hands with his eyes closed. She knew why he was acting like this. The current situation, where everyone was dying around him, just reminded him of Third Impact. 'Just stay there, Shinji. I'll handle this.'

"**BURN IN HELLFIRE, YOU BITCH!**" Sammael roared with pure malice as his six demonic wings grew on his back again before a wave of crimson energy beams fire out of his wings in all directions, similar to Shalock's technique. Unit 02 raises its right hand and projects a rainbow colored barrier that blocks the attack with ease. Unit 00 flies at high speeds to evade the attack. Unit 07 raises its left arm and projects a rainbow colored AT Field from the golden cross attached to her arm.

Unit 05, who was currently flying back into the battlefield, crosses his arms in front of him and a circular pure white energy barrier appears, coming from his Crimson Angel weapon, and blocks the attack. Kensuke blinks in surprise, 'Wait, I didn't know I could do that…'

Unit 04 was at a far enough distance to evade the attacks with ease, which was necessary considering Varkon was trying to take him over, which hindered his movements greatly. 'The moment Asuka showed up…I felt calm; serene almost…Is her AT Field acting like a source of purity and hope?'

'Damn you!' Varkon snapped angrily, causing Patrick to clutch his forehead tightly as his eye color became blood red with the whites of his eyes becoming black. 'I'll take your body over and you'll watch as I kill every single one of your friends!'

'Not likely…' Patrick retorts weakly as his control began to slip. 'Mother…'

'I'm trying to help you, Patrick.' Diana whispers, 'I can't help you hold him back much longer…'

'…Alright…then I'll take that bastard down with me…' Unit 04 glowed with a dark blue aura as the Evangelion's armor compacted itself from the force of its own AT Field. 'Damn…I need you to hold together…until it's ready…' The armor fused and became streamlined as its AT Field fused with the armor. Rather than dark blue, however, the armor became sky blue. "Kensuke, Hikari!" Patrick shouted, "I'll take over Sarah's role in this attack…but I need your help with this!"

Unit 05 reaches Unit 04 before Kensuke opens communications with him, "We aren't using you as a sacrifice." He stated in a flat voice.

"…Either you help me or I'll do it myself." Patrick growls out and causes Kensuke to flinch at his eye color. "Right now…Varkon is close to overtaking my soul…I'd rather take him down with me with this attack." He chuckles darkly, "I knew I'd die in this battle anyways…and I'm glad I got to see Sarah one more time…"

Unit 04 is surrounded by pure white flames as Asuka stares sadly at him. "…I understand…Do what you feel you must."

Patrick smiles and nods before fusing his own AT Field with his Evangelion Unit. 'Let's go, Mother…' Unit 04 shoots forward at Sammael, who merely raises his black AT Field to block his suicidal attack. Unit 00 flies by with six wings and a golden aura as she cuts through the AT Field with the Spear of Longinus, 'Thank you…Rei…'

A massive explosion envelops Sammael as Unit 04 comes into contact with the Devil. The explosion was about half the size of the two hundred N2 Warheads, but when the light vanished, Sammael's form is mostly intact, "What?" Asuka shouted as her absolutely calm state faded away.

"**What a fool…Varkon being alive in his body was the only thing limiting my complete restoration…**" Sammael chuckles darkly before getting his head incinerated by a combination of white flames, a white energy beam, and a golden-white energy bolt.

"Shut the hell up." Asuka snapped; trying to keep her mind focused on this battle and not on those who died.

* * *

"Shinji…please…you must help them." Yui whispers in a soothing voice as she hugs her son tightly in the entry plug. Her form was completely solid, "If you don't…those that fell in battle would have died pointlessly…"

Shinji raises his head as tears stream down his face, "I know but…I hate this…" He whispers painfully as Unit 01 raises its sword and cuts through Toji's ax, which vanishes in golden light as Chivalt's sword blades have a curved tip and the pole similar in shape to the Spear of Longinus now had a meter running up it between the line segments until it stops at the tip. "It feels…like everyone is going to die around me…"

Yui becomes silent as Unit 01 slashes through the Gravity Spear. Chivalt's sword blades widen slightly and the length now exceeds the length of the pole and fuses the two blades together with a curved tip. "…I know this is hard…but you must fight…"

Shinji closes his eyes before opening them, his face and eyes expressionless as a bright purple aura surrounds his body and two angelic wings of the same color appear on his back. 'Let's go, Mother…'

Yui's eyes widened before she vanished from the entry plug, 'Shinji…just closed off his heart…I didn't think he would do that…' Unit 01 glows with a bright purple aura with six diamond-shaped AT Field wings on its back with the same color as his aura before it flies back into the battlefield.

* * *

Asuka bit her lower lip as her white flames fought against Sammael's black flames. Currently, it appeared they were both at a stalemate with neither of them overpowering the other, but Sammael's power was slowly rising and his black flames were pushing Asuka's white flames back. Unit 00 fires a barrage of energy slashes from the Spear of Longinus at Sammael from behind, which were blocked by a pure black wall made of shadows. Unit 05 was firing a massive beam of pure energy from his Crimson Angel weapon, but Sammael was countering with a beam of pure darkness firing out of his right hand. Hikari was firing a barrage of moderately sized energy bolts with a golden-white aura around him, which tore through the shadow barrier Sammael created on his left side and pierced into his body.

"**Damn you!**" Sammael roars before firing a massive Anti-AT Field in all directions. Unit 05 cuts off his attack and flies to the right, but loses his left leg from Sammael's beam of pure darkness, causing him to gasp in pain and grips his leg tightly. Unit 00 flew at high speeds to Sammael's right and grabs Unit 05 before pulling him away as the Anti-AT Field approached. Unit 07 flew back out of range of the Anti-AT Field quickly before Hikari gasps as the attack approaches Unit 02.

Unit 02 overpowers the black flames only to see the Anti-AT Field five meters from her and still approaching. She quickly infuses her AT Field into her sword and slashes down at the spreading Anti-AT Field. Her eyes widen in shock as it is slowly vaporized into oblivion before letting go of it and flying backwards; barely evading the attack from ripping her Evangelion apart. 'Damn it…'

Sammael fires a barrage of crimson energy beams in all directions from his wings, forcing Hikari to raise her AT Field with the golden cross to defend. Unit 02 barely managed to dodge a serious injury as the attacks cut into her sides, arms and legs in multiple points. Kensuke knew Unit 00 couldn't dodge all of those attacks while dragging him so he grabs her and kicks her behind him before crossing his arms and put up that circular pure while barrier with his Crimson Angel weapon.

His shield could not withstand the attack, but it did limit it enough not to go through him and hit Unit 00. Kensuke coughs up blood as it hit several vitals, 'Damn…I can't see straight…' His eyes widen before a single beam of pure darkness destroys his chest plate and his entry plug, causing the Eva to explode.

Rei stared in horror at what just happened. Only half of them were still alive to fight…and Kensuke just threw his life away to save her. Rei swears angrily before putting up her AT Field to block the incoming beam of pure darkness.

"**Yes…feel nothing but despair as everyone around you dies…**" Sammael grins evilly, "**Charge, Bragon.**" He vanishes and reappears in front of Unit 02 before swinging his sword down at Asuka with no time to react. Hikari flies between them and infuses energy ounce of her energy into her rainbow color barrier, which manages to hold for a few seconds, allowing Asuka to fly back out of range.

"Good luck…Asuka…" Hikari whispers before the blade cuts clean through the barrier and Unit 07, causing it to explode.

"Hikari!" Asuka begins swearing angrily in German as tears run down her face. They never should have let anyone else fight in this battle. A golden light surrounds Hikari's Crimson Angel weapon and Kensuke's Crimson Angel weapon before it compresses into small golden spheres that fly away from Sammael and past Asuka as Sammael flies at her and swings his sword down at Unit 02. She had no more energy left as her wings vanished. Her eyes widen as Unit 01 glows with a golden aura and flied overhead and intercepted Sammael's sword before knocking it aside. "Mein Gott…"

Unit 01's sword had a cross-shaped hilt and its blade was more compact now. The pole in the center was gone but the metal was purple while the blade itself was pure white. "Die, Sammael…" Shinji whispered before cutting his head off from this distance with a blade of pure white energy extending from the sword blade.

"**Hahaha…that won't be enough to kill me, you brat…**" Sammael growled out as his head reattached to his body.

Asuka sighs sadly before her armor glows brightly, "Shinji…I'm out of energy…use my armor." It detaches from Unit 02 and fuses into a ball of light before flying into Unit 01, causing Unit 01's armor to alter slightly and is now covered in various places by Asuka's Elemental Armor, which is golden in color. "Good luck…" Asuka closes her eyes as pure exhaustion overtook her body from using her AT Field to restore her energy.

Unit 00 flies over to Unit 01 with the Spear of Longinus with a pure white aura around her body. "Shinji…I know what you are truly capable of out in the battlefield…which is why I'm giving you my remaining power." Rei whispers as Shinji takes hold of the Spear of Longinus with his left hand and the pure white aura fuses with his own aura. 'Sarah saw your victory…so good luck.' Rei thinks to herself before blasting Unit 01 back with the remaining power she kept in order to keep Sammael's sword from hitting him, but unable to save herself and Asuka from their fate.

"ASUKA!" Shinji screams in horror as the calmness he worked so hard to keep fell apart as his resolve to fight vanished. Shinji originally fought for his father's approval, but now he fought for his friends and loved ones…but now…everyone was dead. He couldn't stop the tears from falling down his cheeks, unable to stop crying as he felt nothing but despair as his AT Field that he had around his body vanished, exposing his soul to Sammael's influence. Unit 01 roared and its Core broke out from its confinement behind its armor.

'Shinji…it's time…' Yui whispered.

* * *

Misato was swearing as tears flowed down her cheek and she clung to Kaji, who looked similarly sad at the situation. "S-Shinji's sync…dropped to zero…" Maya choked out tearfully before Doctor Akagi hugged her from behind gently.

Hyuga bites back his own tears as he stares at Shinji's psychograph, which was in shambles at this point…yet… "Huh..? Major Katsuragi…Unit 01…it's moving…"

Misato forces herself to look at the scene as Sammael's power level reaches the equivalent of 1000 sync. His form compresses heavily and into a single bone white sphere with two empty eye sockets and a small beak in front with his ethereal sword vanishing as it fused with his body. Suddenly, twelve red wings with golden highlight grow up and around the sphere as its two eyes glow a malevolent green color.

Misato flinched violently at those eyes, as it seemed that every sin that humanity had every committed were shown in those eyes and she looks away. The creature's wings each have three yellow eyes with a black background on them as well, and appeared to be all seeing and all knowing. Her eyes widen in amazement as Shinji lets go of Chivalt's sword.

'Why did he-' Misato's eyes widen in horror as Shinji grabs the Spear of Longinus with both hands before stabbing the single tipped end straight into his Core. "SHINJI!"

"…His life signs…Oh my God…" Maya puts a hand in front of her mouth to stop herself from throwing up.

Hyuga's eyes widen, "Wh-What the hell? Unit 01's sync just shot up to 1000!" He sounded shocked, "His Eva's Waveform pattern just shifted to red!"

"What?" Misato shouted, "Who is piloting-" Her eyes widen in amazement as his life signs no longer showed that he was dead.

"At last, the time is at hand." Tabris states with a smile as he appears out of nowhere in the Command Center and caused most of them to gasp in shock at the Angel's appearance out of nowhere. "After all…it is always darkest before the dawn."

"Explain yourself, Tabris." Commander Ikari demanded.

"A power once gifted…A power once gained can never be taken away…" He stares as Unit 01 slowly pulls the Spear of Longinus out…yet it seems to be longer than it was when it went in. "Unit 01 still retained its divinity after Third Impact…but in order to prevent it from keeping this power…Lilith's Spear left the Doorway in order to seal its divine power…" Unit 01 fully pulls out the Spear of Longinus, which now had the same appearance as it did when Shinji aborted Third Impact. Two prongs on each end of the Spear of Longinus as it glowed with a bright white light, which changed the colored of the Spear and Unit 01's armor to pure white and shifted it so it no longer looked like some demon or devil, but now resembled the appearance of a holy knight. "…by fusing with Unit 01. With both Adam and Lilith's Spears together, it has formed the Celestial Spear, capable of using the divine power of both Adam and Lilith through a medium. That medium is Eva Unit 01 and Shinji Ikari."

* * *

Unit 01 lets go of the Celestial Lance with his right hand while his left flips in and places it horizontally on his back. Twelve angelic wings appear from the Celestial Spear's four points that separate the spear from a single point to the two points on Unit 01's back before they glowed brightly, casting light on Sammael and the Doorway behind him. It screams with sheer rage at the purity of the light that felt like it was burning him. "**This is impossible!**" He screamed in horror as pure white light orbs appeared on either end of the Celestial Spear and shift Unit 01's armor to a pure white color. "**I am a God! I cannot die!**" The eyes on his wings all fire pure beams of darkness at Unit 01.

Shinji slowly opens his blue eyes as a rainbow colored aura surrounds Unit 01 as he reaches out and grabs Chivalt's sword with its right hand, which glows brightly and changes shape. The sword blade was pure white in color and the hilt (as well as the guard) is now golden in color. Unit 01's rainbow colored aura glows brightly, which deflects the beams of pure darkness in all directions away from Shinji and his Eva Unit. "…Every crime and sin you have committed…" Shinji's voice sounded like his own yet it also seemed to reverberate with the voices of Asuka, Rei, and his fellow pilots. A golden halo forms over his head and he walks forward as Sammael fired flames that were black and red in color at Unit 01, who surrounds himself in Toji's AT Field absorption field. Rather than filling a gauge, however, the sword blade was surrounded by a golden aura. "…Every person you caused pain and suffering to…" Sammael focuses every ounce of his energy in desperation into a sphere of absolute nothingness, yet Unit 01 continues to advance forward. "…And every person you caused the death of…" He fires it at Unit 01, who merely deflects it to the side with a swing of his sword as if he was merely swatting away a fly. "…It's time for you to pay for it all." The sphere that Unit 01 deflected explodes far away and vaporizes the equivalent of a continent.

Sammael was frozen in place from fear. Everything he did so far was for this moment…and yet… "**Damn you Lilim!**" He roars before charging at Unit 01, who just stops moving and stands there. A bone white claw breaks out of the sphere and the Sword of Habakiri comes out of his body as he flies at the Evangelion. "**No being can withstand the power of darkness!**" He slashes the sword down at Unit 01, who just grabs the sword blade with his left hand while his right hand held his sword.

"…You don't get it, do you?" Shinji states calmly in that same voice as earlier before clenching his fist and shattering the Sword of Habakiri's blade with ease. "We aren't fighting alone. The souls of all of us are fighting you together…which is why someone like you, who cares nothing for others in his pursuit of power, will never win."

Unit 01's left wrist is surrounded by six semi-solid rainbow-colored AT Field boxes that rise up in front of him and blasted Sammael away from him. "**The Lilim have caused nothing but death and war!**" He screamed as a drew more power from the World of Darkness, allowing his sword blade to reform as the sphere shatters, revealing a human-shaped Sammael with a black robe, who still possessed those twelve wings and his Sword of Habakiri. Sammael glows ominously before growing in size until equal in height with Unit 01.

Shinji closes his eyes, "We still have faith in the light and purity of humanity…" He replies calmly before firing a barrage of Anti-AT Field slashes with a single sword swipe, the attack rainbow colored. Sammael creates a row of diamond walls that block the attack from reaching him, but it isn't enough to prevent deep slash marks from appearing on the barrier.

"**Ha! Faith in humanity? What fools you are!**" Sammael snapped before the diamond walls change into spikes that fire out at Unit 01.

Shinji raises his left hand, "Anti Territory Field." He whispers in the shared voice before the spikes come into contact with Toji's AT Field absorption sphere, which surrounded Unit 01, and the attack fades into nothingness. As soon as the sphere vanishes, Sammael raises his sword and a multitude of demonic creatures fly out from the Doorway.

"**You are no God, boy!**" Sammael roared, watching as the demonic creatures fly past him and at Unit 01.

'Your Absolute Territory Field is born from your desire to protect, as well as the will from Hikari, Rei, and Asuka.' Yui whispers, 'Your Anti Territory Field is born from the desire to destroy, and uses the powers of Toji, Kensuke, Patrick, and Sarah.'

Unit 01 clenches its left hand and countless Anti Territory Fields surround the demonic army and eradicates them all. Shinji's purple aura becomes rainbow-colored before he whispers, "Absolute Anti Territory Field." Countless rainbow-color Spear of Longinus copies appear in the air around Unit 01 as the Third Child stares at Sammael. "It's over…"

"**THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!**" Sammael screamed before being skewered by the countless spears until nothing remained as a rainbow-colored sphere is formed around the Devil and explodes in the form of a cross before it compresses into nothingness. Unit 01 holds its left hand out and an elaborately trimmed and inscribed sheath appears in his left hand before Shinji sheathes his sword with his right hand.

* * *

Everyone just gapes in amazement, "T-The target has gone…silent…" Hyuga whispers in awe. "Unit 01's sync…is too high to calculate it right now…"

"The Magi can't understand what Unit 01 just did but…" Maya looks at the visual of Unit 01. "…I think that the Eva Unit 01…is the equivalent of a God…"

Misato has tears running down her face before wiping them away and opening communications with Unit 01. "Shinji…are you okay?"

Shinji blinks at Misato, "We are okay, Misato." He frowns slightly, "It is difficult to explain how we are feeling, actually…" Shinji sighs, "It is not over yet. Please wait for a few minutes." Misato has a confused expression on her face as Shinji cuts off communications.

"Shinji, the best way to do this is to recreate the Moon around the Doorway after it is sealed." Yui pauses, "I think we should give your friends and lover a physical body again after we're done with that too."

The Third Child's face was filled with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement, "Of course." He closes his eyes before his wings extend and the Spear of Longinus glows with a bright white light before he places his sheath on his back and pulls the Celestial Spear out from behind him. Unit 01 holds it in both hands in a horizontal position as the golden angelic wings transform into diamond-shaped AT Field wings and the four points on the Spear glow brightly, 'Now!' Four beams of pure light fires out of the tips and at the corners of the Doorway before it creaks as it closes. The shriek of a multitude of creatures is heard as the Doorway closes but they fear attempting to escape only to be annihilated by Unit 01. The Doorway slams shut and the lights move to the center of the Doorway and seal it. "There," Shinji nods approvingly before closing his eyes.

"I'll take over for a moment, Shinji." Yui whispers before placing her hands on the controls over Shinji's hands, causing the Spear to glow as bright as the Sun before it fades away to reveal the restored state of the Moon. "Perfect…actually, it's a bit off but perfection is impossible for humanity." She corrects herself.

Shinji nods before looking at the wreckage of the Evangelion Units. 'Are you okay everyone?' He thinks.

'Well, it's weird in here, but we're fine…' Asuka replied softly. 'Geez, I'm glad you're in a state of absolute calm. I couldn't handle seeing your fantasies of me…or vise versa.'

'Wait, you have-' Toji begins before the sound of a punch is heard. 'Ouch! I was just curious!'

"Can you all settle down?" Yui demanded in a flat voice, "We have more pressing issues right now, like keeping stability between eight individual souls…"

"How did that happen?" Shinji asks curiously.

"Long story that I'll go into after we deal with Unit 01." Yui stated calmly.

'What does THAT mean?' Sarah asked.

'It means that Unit 01 is practically a God and no one wants humanity to get their greedy hands on it.' Patrick replied.

"That's a bit blunt, but accurate." Yui sighs, "I trust Shinji, but there are humans like Keel that would jump at the chance to play God."

'Can we play around with this power?' Kensuke asked brightly, 'I mean, we could do some really cool stuff.'

"No." Yui snapped in a flat voice before the others could also agree with the Sixth Child. "We've been in control of this power for too long already-" Her eyes widen as Shinji focuses himself and the Spear of Longinus glows brightly. "Shinji, wait a minute!"

"Trust me…Mother…" He whispers before a shockwave of energy fires down at the Earth and spreads out over the entire planet. "There…"

'Wait, what the heck did you do?' Toji demanded.

"I erased the data that could create another Evangelion, as well as the DNA on file and even the subatomic particles of Angel and Crimson Angel DNA." Shinji smiles before glancing at the wreckage from the other Evas before they fade away.

'What?' Asuka shouted, 'Why did you do that?'

'Seriously! The Eva's are-' Kensuke begins before Shinji cuts him off.

"The Evas have done nothing but cause pain and death to others…I won't let anyone create another Eva Unit, which could eventually become another God." Shinji whispers before looking down at the Earth. "It's over and done with now. They'll remember the Evangelions, but not how to create them."

Yui nodded approvingly, "I never thought of that…" She admitted ruefully, "Thank you, Shinji…So, anything else you'd like to do before giving up Divinity?"

Shinji shakes his head, "No…but how can we destroy Unit 01 and prevent it from ever being used as a puppet again?"

"This will be difficult…but it can be done." Yui sighs before staring at Shinji. "I'll take control for now…Goodbye darling." Before Shinji could react, he vanishes from the entry plug and Yui sits down in the pilot's seat. "Sorry Shinji…but I can't let you be the one to do this…because only the soul inside the Evangelion can keep the power under control for this." She closes her eyes, "You were near your limit…so I'll take charge."

Unit 01 places the Celestial Spear on its back and grew its twelve angelic wings again. The Eva glowed brightly, ten times the intensity of the Sun before the Moon vanished and reappeared in its proper orbit. As the light faded away, Unit 01 was nowhere to be found. 'It's over at last…' Yui whispered.

* * *

A/N: The longest chapter to date with almost 10,000 words! I cried as the heroes slowly died off…but I was filled with joy as Unit 01 reached Godhood and defeated the enemy. I used things like Unit 01's AT Field arm cannon from Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0 where Shinji went berserk against Zeruel. The last chapter is the Epilogue. Enjoy it!

Read and Review!


	50. Epilogue

A/N: Well, I'm now alive again. Yui was kind enough to revive me as well as the others.

Yui chuckles, "You are necessary in order to write the finale. So get typing."

"Fine, fine…" Vanpat muttered darkly, "Anyways, faithful readers, I'm glad you put up with me for so long and I'm actually a bit sad that this story is finally over." He paused, "Isn't it strange? I'm both happy and sad about it finally being over…"

"Rewrite it then." Yui suggested. "If you're going to be depressed about it, then rewrite the whole thing so it flows more smoothly and is perfect in your eyes."

"God no…I can't even IMAGINE the sheer effort required to do that…" Vanpat shudders, "Anyways, let's get started. Please read the disclaimer, Yui."

"Of course," Yui smiles and faces the audience. "Vanpat does not own Neon Genesis Evangelion…and he apologizes for the religious references he uses in this chapter."

* * *

Shinji groans softly as he opens his blue eyes and stares at the ceiling. He was lying down in a hospital room with only one bed and a single chair. In the chair sat a young woman in a white lab coat, a light blue shirt underneath and a long lavender skirt on. "Good morning Shinji." Yui Ikari says to the boy with a smile as she closes a small book and reaches over to touch Shinji's cheek. "I've very proud of you."

Shinji quickly sits up and the covers fall down, revealing he is dressed in a white buttoned shirt and dark grey pants. "What happened?" He asked quickly.

"You won against Sammael, fixed everything he did, and brought your friends and lover back to life." Yui replied with a smile.

"That's not what I meant." Shinji replied, "I want to know what happened with everything that happened when I reached 1000 sync."

Yui frowns slightly, "The strong desire your friends had to continue fighting against Sammael acted like an anchor for their souls. Even though their bodies were destroyed, their souls remained on the battlefield." She pauses, "When Unit 01 woke up, it drew in those souls but, rather than absorbing them like Unit 01 did to you at one point, it transferred the souls to your body." Yui smiles faintly, "For a short period of time, your bodies housed eight souls."

Shinji blinks before shaking his head, "Ugh, my head hurts…" He complains, "Did everyone else get revived too?"

Yui nods, "Yes, they did." Before she could continue, the door shot open and a wave of red hair zoomed into the room before jumping on the bed. Asuka pins down Shinji before kissing him fiercely on the lips, not caring that Yui was watching her. Shinji blushes deeply at the kiss while Yui just chuckles, "Okay Asuka, you can kiss him senseless after I'm done talking to him."

Asuka pulled away and looked put out at Yui's statement, currently wearing a sky blue shirt and dark blue shorts. "Fine…" Her cheeks were slightly red before sitting on the edge of the bed. "Anyways, you never explained what the hell happened up there to us!" She complained.

"I wanted to talk with Shinji about it first." Yui explained calmly, "Basically, all of your souls were joined together. Each of your flaws was complimented by the good traits the others had, effectively making Shinji the 'perfect being.' In short, it was a small-scale version of Third Impact. However, because the joining was incomplete and your individuality maintained, it wore off after your task of defeating Sammael and sealing the Doorway was completed, which kept your wills and souls focused on a single task." She pauses, "In order to control Unit 01, which had become a God, you were required to be a 'true being' with no flaws, hence why I took over after your wills began to deviate."

"Just out of curiosity, what would have happened if you didn't take over?" Asuka asked.

"Unit 01 would go berserk." Yui stated simply. "Needless to say, a creature with power equivalent to God going wild would be bad."

"That's the understatement of the century…" Asuka muttered darkly, "Okay, how could YOU control it then?"

"My soul was inside of Unit 01 itself, allowing me to control it with ease." Yui smiled, "In a way, I was the God while Shinji controlled me." Shinji sighs, "Don't worry, darling. As long as I relented and let you do these things, I could not stop you."

"Still…" Shinji whispered before Misato ran into the room and hugged him tightly. "Gah, hi Misato…" He gasped out before she released him.

"I'm sorry for doing that, Mrs. Ikari…" Misato apologizes to the woman, who just smiles.

"Just Yui is okay…and I know how important Shinji is to you. I'm grateful you took care of him for so long." Yui replied calmly. "Now, where is my husband?" Her voice was flinty as she said this, and she looked a bit scary at this point.

"Oh, um, probably in his office…Do you want me to-" Misato began but Yui cuts her off.

"No thanks. I know where his office is…Excuse me, Shinji. I'll be back after I have a nice little chat with Gendo for what he's done." Yui's voice was cold as she stood up and walked out of the room.

After she left, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "That was scary…" Asuka muttered, "No offense Shinji, but your mother seems like someone you definitely don't want to tick off. Any chance your father will be alive by the end of the day?" Shinji nods, "Oh well, worth a shot…" She smiles and pulls him up into a sitting position. "Everyone else is already up…and you might be surprised at how Rei looks now."

* * *

A young girl at the age of fifteen sat in a chair near the exit of the hospital, reading a small book with little interest. Her hair was short and light brown with a single strand of blue hair going down the left side of her head, her eyes were bluish-grey in color and she wore her school uniform. Shinji, Asuka and Yui approached the exit, catching the girl's attention. She smiles, closing the book before standing up and facing them. Shinji blinks in surprise at her face, which was similar to his own and that of his mother- "Rei?" He asked with surprise.

"That's right." Rei smiles impishly before walking up to Shinji and hugging him tightly. "I'm glad you're okay, Shinji." She whispers before letting go of him. "Yeah, this appearance is definitely different from what I used to look like, but my DNA is now a combination of Yui's and Gendo's rather than a combination of Yui's and Lilith's. In a way, I'm now your sister."

"…Okay; what else happened since I was out?" Shinji demanded, "And how long have I been out?"

"Let's see…about three days." Asuka replies with a smirk, "The souls that were in the Evangelion Units were given a body and the souls of the pilots were all revived. Your stunt deleted and destroyed any chance to create another Evangelion Unit…Tokyo-03 was rebuilt and SEELE is likely on trial right now."

* * *

Ritsuko sighs as she examined the data recorded during the battle with Sammael. Half of it was deleted and the other have she had no clue what it meant. "Every time I try and remember what we used to create the Eva Units, my head hurts…" She shakes her head and looks at the medical profiles of the pilots. "Their AT Fields are stable and can no longer be used. Does that mean Yui sealed them? Well, so much for anyone trying to play God again."

"The Spear is gone, Unit 01 is gone, and Sammael is gone." Tabris noted, causing Akagi to jump in surprise. "Everything is just about over now."

"Is there a reason you're here, or is this a social visit?" Ritsuko demanded as she shifted by into her chair.

"I'm just here to tell you that Eva is gone forever. It won't be necessary and I'd highly suggest not trying to create them again." Tabris looked flinty. "I'm going to be telling the same thing to Ikari and Fuyutsuki…as well as the U.N."

Ritsuko looked amused at the reaction the U.N. would probably have from an Angel appearing out of nowhere in their conference room. "Fine…I won't bother with them. I prefer the Magi over the Evangelion Units anyways."

"Excellent," Tabris smiles, "Have a nice day." He vanishes into thin air.

* * *

Commander Ikari stared at the line that so perplexed him before the final battle in his office. He was currently seated behind his desk with Fuyutsuki standing next to him. "It seems it meant self-sacrifice as in the idea of death and rebirth…" Ikari muttered. "And in that rebirth, Unit 01 would become a God…"

"Yes." Fuyutsuki nodded, "But now Unit 01…as well as all the other Eva Units and the data on them are forever gone…If we want to rebuild them, we'd need to start from scratch."

"I wouldn't try that, if I were you." Tabris stated in a cool voice as he appeared in front of Ikari's desk out of thin air. Fuyutsuki jumped slightly but Gendo showed no surprise. "The Eva's have served their purpose. Even if you remade them, without the Spear of Longinus, your idea of creating a new God is dead in the water."

"Is that a fact?" Gendo asked coldly.

"You have what you wanted back for all this time, Ikari." Kaworu stated in a firm voice, "Yui Ikari is back in this world with you. Continuing to play God is pointless to you."

"I am well aware of this." Gendo snapped, "I have no intention of continuing the idea of pursuing divinity."

"Good…oh, I'd better leave before she shows up. Bye!" Tabris vanishes rather quickly.

One second later, the door shoots open and Yui Ikari stands in the doorway with a flinty expression before walking into the room, her heels resounding quite loudly as she walks. "Professor Fuyutsuki, could you please leave us?" She asks in a cool voice before leveling a glare at Gendo, who actually flinches under her gaze. "I have a few private things to discuss with my husband."

"Of course, Yui," Fuyutsuki quickly walks out of the room and closes the door after leaving. He had no desire to be in there with Yui after seeing her expression.

* * *

Toji frowns down at the simulator pods with Kensuke to his right and Hikari to his left. They stood together on the control deck with their arms resting on the top of the railing. Hikari had her right arm interlocked with Toji's left arm. "What do you think will happen to those things?" The jock asked softly, referring to the simulation pods.

Kensuke shrugs, "Who knows? They still have some data on the Eva Units, but it's all in a jumbled mess." He sighs, "I'm going to miss at this, you know? Sure, piloting was scary sometimes but I feel that the good points outweighed the bad points."

Toji sighs, "Maybe…but I'd prefer not to have anything to do with them ever again. Dying twice because of those things is enough for me." He was referring to the 13th Angel and Sammael.

Kensuke chuckles, "Looks like you have something in common with Asuka and Patrick. They both died twice because of Eva, remember?"

"Oh yeah…The Eva Series before Third Impact and Sammael for Asuka," Toji muttered. "Patrick had Unit 04's sabotage and Sammael…I don't think being pulled out of your body and thought to be dead counts though."

"True…" Kensuke sighs, "Speaking of being dead, it was strange being in Shinji's head…I could see what everyone was thinking."

Hikari nods in agreement and holds onto her arm tighter, "Yeah…I'm just glad this whole thing is over…and that Mom is back." She smiles happily, causing Toji and Kensuke to nod in agreement.

"Where are they anyways?" Toji asked curiously.

"Probably busy catching up with everyone else," Kensuke shrugs. "They have been out of touch for awhile, after all."

"Understatement of the century," Toji pointed out with a chuckle.

* * *

After Shinji and Asuka managed to break away from Misato's grip, they decided to head for the restored fountain plaza. Both of them walked hand in hand down and around the fountain before sitting down against one of the pillars. Asuka smiles and rests her head against Shinji's right shoulder with a sigh of contentment. "Geez, Misato really should leave us alone so we can talk in private…" She frowns slightly, "Hm, I can't read your mind anymore…"

Shinji sighs softly before letting go of her hand and runs his right hand through her long red hair. "I guess…we both lost the ability to use our AT Fields…" He replied softly.

"Eh, that was more trouble than it was worth anyways." Asuka shrugged before smiling and closing her eyes. "But that's okay…just being together is good enough for me."

"Yeah…" Shinji smiles as he closed his eyes in contentment.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed before it became deathly quiet with not even the sound of Asuka's breath was heard. Shinji opens his eyes and looks around slowly. Leaves from the trees seemed to hang in the air…like time had stopped. Even Asuka appeared frozen, yet he didn't feel afraid or uneasy. Standing on the water was a figure bathed in pure white light. He wore a long white robe and had white hair and a beard. His facial features were impossible to distinguish except his eyes, which were bright blue.

Shinji felt no panic, but rather, a sense of love and comfort radiating from the figure. "Hello Shinji. May I speak with you for a moment?" The figure asked in a calm, soothing voice. The voice was the same voice he heard in the vision of the past that Rei showed him. Shinji looks over at Asuka, but the figure continues. "Worry not; time has stopped for everything except you and me."

Shinji couldn't help but chuckle, "I guess this moment could last forever then?"

The figure smiles humorously, "That's right, but I don't plan to take up too much of your time. Could you come with me?"

The Third Child smiles and nods, "Of course," He looks over at Asuka before giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek before regretfully breaking away from her and standing up. Shinji almost laughed at Asuka's odd position, her head tilted to the side with eyes closed. He turns to face the glowing figure, who nods and walks across the water to the opposite bank. Shinji walks to the edge of the plaza and frowns slightly at the water.

"When time is stopped, nothing can be moved. You may walk on the water." The figure stated in a calm voice. Shinji nods and steps onto the water (which does not even ripple from the contact) before crossing it to the opposite bank. "This way." The figure calmly walks into the forest with Shinji following after Him.

"I have some questions I'd like to ask." Shinji says after a few minutes.

The figure smiles and nods as they enter a clearing, which had a white marble table and two red cushioned chairs with armrests. "I know you do, Shinji. Please take a seat." The figure walks over and sits down in the chair to the right while Shinji sits in the chair to the left. The minutes seemed to tick by as silence filled the table.

"You're God, aren't you?" Shinji finally spoke out.

He smiles, "That's right, Shinji. I knew that would be your first question." He pauses, "You are troubled, aren't you?" Shinji hesitates before nodding, "I don't blame you for this, Shinji. I know you've questioned my existence at multiple times in the past because of the suffering you've endured."

Shinji sighs, "It was very hard to just…believe after all that has happened." He looks apologetically at the glowing figure, who merely smiles.

"I understand fully. Despite all that you've endured, deep down, you continued to believe in me." He replies, causing Shinji to nod. "I'm sorry that so much suffering occurred in your life. In a way, much of the suffering the Lilim…humanity endured was because of my inability to stop Sammael. I truly believed that he could be redeemed and saved but…" He sighs sadly, "At any rate, the Darkness that leaked out of the incomplete seal on the Doorway corrupted humanity." He smiles fondly at Shinji, "However, despite that flaw, you managed to overcome the darkness and finish what I could not…for this, I thank you."

Shinji smiles and nods, "It wasn't just me…my friends helped me win. Even if it was just to support me, they deserve your thanks as much as me."

The figure smiles fondly, "You're a kind person, Shinji. I'm sure, however, that you have some questions for me." Shinji nods, "Feel free to ask anything."

"Are you Adam?" Shinji asks after a few moments, "You were the same person in the vision of the events so many years ago…so you must be Adam, the Progenitor of the Angels, right?"

He chuckles softly, "You're close."

"Are you Lilith?"

At this point, the figure laughs out loud. His laughter wasn't filled with the amusement that one has when ridiculing someone when they are wrong, but was instead filled with joy. "I am both Adam and Lilith, yet at the same time, I am not." He smiles, "I should explain this interesting little fact, Shinji. How others see me depends on their perception of me. You view me as Adam, the Progenitor of the Angels. Tabris was the same way, incidentally." He pauses, "This might be a bit difficult to understand, but you are a smart boy…not as much as Asuka but you can pull your own weight at times."

"So…depending how we think you look like, you'll appear in that form to us? If I thought you were Adam while Rei thought you were Lilith, then we'd only see what we believe you are but unable to see what others believe you look like?" Shinji asks.

"That's right." God chuckles, "See? You are smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"Could you tell me what you really look like then?"

The figure blinks and chuckles, "That's an interesting question, Shinji Ikari. My form is dependant on how others view me. I have no 'real' form. Even to myself, I look how I believe I should look." He smiles faintly, "In a way, humanity creates its own image to a certain extent, as well as their image of me."

"Okay, how much of the Bible or other religious text are accurate?" Shinji asks out of nowhere.

"I think I'll let you determine that for yourself. Yui has already been informed about the majority of the truth and she'll gladly explain it to you." He pauses, "There is one question that you have that she can't answer though. Shinji, I truly had faith in humanity to finish my work…but I knew the price would be heavy, and still is heavy."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"You were planning to ask me what will happen from now on. Am I right?" Shinji nods and the figure continued. "For the next…seven years, three months, and twenty days the Earth's ecosystem will be very unstable. The world will slowly return to its original state before Second Impact…which is to say the ecosystem will return. The Moon's shift out of normal orbit and eventual destruction, recreation, and repairing of its orbit will have side-effects." He sighed, "There's one other problem. Although humanity was corrupted by the darkness leaking out of the Doorway, which has now been sealed, there will be many who hold dark intentions in your world…some more destructive than SEELE and Keel. Crime rates will raise and then eventually fall, the economy will be ravaged by lack of resources…"

Shinji sighs sadly, "Why can't everyone just get along?"

"That's partly my fault as well." God admits, "I gave humanity free will and kept them separated with AT Fields. True, Lilith gave birth to humanity and Adam gave birth to the Angels, but I also had a hand in the creation of them as well." He stands up and looks at the sky, which is visible with clouds above them. Shinji looks startled as he looks around and sees Tokyo-03 in the distance.

"Wait, how did we get all the way out here?" Shinji demanded.

"Trade secret," The figure replies with a chuckle before looking around. "Back on topic, do you know why I gave them separate AT Fields? I think you do, Shinji…you made the same choice I did during Third Impact."

"Humans can't live by themselves…no matter how painful it is to be unable to communicate with or understand other people, we can never live alone and by ourselves…" Shinji whispers before looking at the glowing figure. "Is that right?"

He nods, "Yes it is, Shinji…Keel and the rest of SEELE thought otherwise but we won't be discussing them. Do you have any more questions- Ah, I can't tell you about you future." He chuckles at Shinji's crestfallen expression. "Don't worry; you all turn out quite nicely. Especially your daughter- ah, perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned that."

Shinji's eyes widen in shock and he is about to speak but the figure cuts him off. "Sorry, I can't say anything else. After all, I wouldn't want to spoil your future any further…Farewell Shinji." He vanishes into thin air, "Oh, one last thing, don't mention this visit to anyone, okay?"

Shinji sighs and nods before closing his eyes to blink. When he opens them, he is back with Asuka and time is moving again. 'Was that just a dream?'

"Hey Shinji…what's up?" Asuka asks curiously after opening her left eye to look up at the Third Child.

"Oh, it's nothing…just daydreaming…" Shinji whispers as he goes back to running his right hand through Asuka's long red hair. His eyes widen slightly as the glowing figure waves over at him before vanishing. Asuka frowns slightly and opens her eyes, staring at the spot where the glowing figure was. "Is something wrong, Asuka?" Shinji hoped she wouldn't ask what he thought she would. It seemed like every time he tried to lie or evade her questioning, she knew about it.

"…It's nothing I guess…" Asuka whispers with a blush as she snuggles her head against his shoulder. "Just a daydream…"

* * *

Sarah sighs as she stares at her boyfriend, both of them sitting on a couch in the library in Nerv (she was actually shocked to discover they HAD a library, even if it was near the hospital). Patrick was rapidly reading through Manga at high speeds, so fast that she didn't think it would be possible but then, he always liked reading. "You REALLY need a hobby, Patrick." She muttered.

"I do have one." Patrick shot back as he turned the page and eagerly began reading again. Right now, his expression looked like a child in a candy store.

"Reading Manga doesn't count…" Sarah grumbled, but her boyfriend tuned her out. She sighs before getting off the couch they were sitting on and stretches. 'Mom, Diana and Serena are busy talking again…I'm really curious but I don't know what they're up to…' The brunette thinks to herself.

"Sarah, I'm thinking of writing a book." Patrick said out of nowhere, his eyes still centered on his Manga.

"Huh?" Sarah blinks with surprise before turning around to face him, "What about?"

The boy shrugs, "Not sure, but I think I have enough imagination to think of something interesting to write." He closes the Manga after putting in a bookmark and smiles at her.

Sarah rolls her eyes, "Well, it's a better hobby than reading Manga." The Fifth Child looked a bit put out at that statement but didn't comment.

Serena walks into the room with Diana and Morgan entering with her. She smiles and hugs both Patrick and Sarah, "Hello you two…Sorry we've been talking for so long but we needed to talk about some things."

"Like…?" Sarah looks quite curious at this point.

"Whether to return to America or not," Diana replies simply. "We decided to let you decide if you want to or not." She smiles impishly, "Also, Morgan lost $50 to me. I bet you two would be together before you both reached 15 years old."

Sarah looked annoyed before actually laughing, "What, does EVERYONE bet on the love lives of others or something?"

"Maybe," Patrick shrugs absently.

* * *

Patrick, Sarah, Serena, Diana and Morgan stood in the airfield, which Ikari had reserved a small plane for them, and were currently waiting for the preparations to be finished for takeoff. The former Pilots all stood there, as well as Misato, Yui, and Kyoko. "Take care of yourselves." Misato said with a smile before shaking Serena's hand.

"We intend to. Thanks for everything, Misato…" Serena replies with a smile on her face. "We'll try to stay in touch and maybe visit once in awhile…but the latter might be harder to do." She chuckled.

"Goodbye Diana, Morgan." Yui smiles impishly at them, "Good luck taking care of those two." They both chuckle and nod.

Patrick shrugs, looking a bit sad. "Well…I guess this is goodbye, huh?" He sighs, "I'm going to miss Japan…"

"Not to mention all your Manga and Anime." Sarah teased, causing Patrick to pout and some of the children to laugh. "Anyways, seeya around sometime."

"You don't have to leave, you know." Kensuke pointed out.

Sarah smirks impishly, "I like Japan and all, but this place is dull and boring without the Crimson Angels or SEELE…besides, I like America because I don't have to strain myself trying to remember to speak Japanese."

"Yeah, whatever…" Asuka muttered.

Sarah's smirk widens, "By the way Asuka, I'd like to talk with you privately for a minute." She motions the redhead to follow her away and talks for a bit before Asuka stomps away, red as a cherry, back to the group as Sarah just laughs. "Hey, if you won't do that, then at least let me the bride's maid for your wedding."

Kyoko laughs as Asuka's blush increases, "Shut up!" The Second Child snapped at Sarah, keeping her eyes averted from Shinji.

Sarah smiles, "Seriously though, good luck with Shinji and everything. Also, keep in touch."

Asuka snorts, "Fine, whatever…make sure your boyfriend doesn't get himself killed again." Sarah smirks and nods before grabbing the back of Patrick's shirt and dragging him towards the plane.

"Oh come on, Sarah! Let me buy ONE more issue of-" Patrick pleads and struggles, but Sarah ignored him and he was eventually out of earshot. Serena chuckles and walks after them with a wave back at Misato. Diana and Morgan follow behind with smiles and board the plane.

* * *

One month later…

"First day of high school huh?" Asuka notes airily as she, Rei and Shinji walked together to school. "This won't be very fun, huh?"

"You didn't have to go, you know." Shinji reminded her. "You graduated College, right?" Asuka shrugs nervously.

"I think I know why she's so keen on going." Rei remarks, "You had your mother arrange things so you'll be in most of Shinji's classes, including Home Economics, just so girls don't flirt with your cute boyfriend."

Asuka's face was the color of an apple, "Shut up, Rei!" She snapped as she held onto Shinji's right hand with her left, who was also blushing deeply at Rei's comment.

"Hey guys!" Kensuke shouted from the corner of the intersection up ahead with Toji and Hikari holding hands next to him. "You'll be late for school if you don't hurry!"

Asuka shakes her head and clears the blush off her face, "We still have twenty-seven minutes, you idiot!" She shouted as the former original three pilots approach the other former pilots.

"Yes, but it will take time to determine the location of our classes." Hikari replies after they reach her. All of them begin walking together across the street the moment the 'Walk' sign lights up. They reach the other side within ten seconds and continue down the sidewalk.

"Yeah…" Toji muttered, refusing to wear the high school uniform despite Hikari's insistence on it. Everyone else was wearing their high school uniform, however.

"So how are your parents acting now, Shinji?" Asuka asked curiously.

"Well, mother chewed my father out for what he did to everyone…other than that, I don't know why but my father is suddenly not such an asshole." Shinji frowns.

"She was quite firm with him. Ikari was doing all of this to get Yui back, and when she returned, she berated him for his actions." Rei noted, "It's sort of amusing, in a way. At any rate, it seems she has a decent amount of control over him…like Sarah had over Patrick when they left."

"Yeah…it sucks that Patrick and Sarah left." Kensuke sighs, adjusting his glasses. "But it was funny seeing him get dragged away from Japan like a child."

"Eh, that was sort of amusing." Toji shrugs, "Anyways, what did Sarah say to you that embarrassed you so much Asuka?" He smirks as Asuka's face became red and avoided looking at Shinji.

"Didn't she say…something about being a bride's maid for a wedding?" Shinji asks in a soft voice, his own face red in remembering that comment.

"No, she said something else before that, which caused her face to be quite red." Rei noted blandly.

"What she said is NONE of your business!" Asuka snapped as she replayed the image in her mind, 'You know Asuka…I think you should just go home with Shinji, rip those clothes off, and have some fun with him. You know you want him that badly-' Asuka blushes deeper red as Toji laughs at her embarrassment.

Before Asuka could retort to Toji's laugher, Kensuke spoke out. "Isn't your sister going to middle school now, Toji?"

His laugher immediately stopped before he sighs and nods, "She made up every bit of work within a month and managed to pass her tests."

"Looks like she got the brains in the family," Asuka chuckles out.

"That isn't very funny." Toji shot back.

Before the situation could degrade any further, Hikari interrupts the two of them. "Enough out of both of you already. We're almost to school and we can't make a bad first impression by acting like children." They both sigh and nod.

The school slowly comes into view, already half of the students inside the campus. The six of them stand outside the gate and stare into the school ground and at the school. "Anyone else nervous?" Toji finally asks.

"Eh, high school is easy. We've fought the Angels, SEELE, the Crimson Angels, and Sammael." Asuka shrugs it off, "It'll be pretty sad if we can't even handle school."

Shinji chuckles and gives Asuka a light kiss on the cheek. "I suppose you're right…let's go." The former Eva Pilots all walk together into the school, finally able to enjoy the peace they worked so hard to achieve. Finally it could be said with no hint of doubt…

"God is in his Heaven. All is right in the world." Tabris whispers from the top of the high school building before smiling and vanishing.

* * *

A/N: Well, this ending is sufficient, isn't it?

"At last! We're free from this story!" Asuka shouted in a joyous voice.

Vanpat sighs, "Well, I'm not sure if I want to even retype this thing until it's presentable or even create another story connected to this plotline that's canonical, but I'll take in reviewer's comments and think of something…Okay everyone, one last farewell to everyone who put up with my theatrics and everything!"

The Eva Pilots, Misato, Kaji, Yui, Kyoko, Gendo, Fuyutsuki, Maya, Ritsuko, Aoba, Hyuga, Tabris, the other Angels in human form, Chivalt, Loriana, Shalock, and Darien all stare at the audience and bow/curtsy, "Thank you and goodnight!" They shout in unison. Someone of them muttered complaints about how that last 'goodbye' was pretty lame, same with the chapter, but I cut them off and the curtain falls.

Read and Review!


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